By MIT School of Engineering
CAMBRIDGE, MA –The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) has awarded an honorary doctorate to Anantha P. Chandrakasan – MIT’s Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer, Dean of Engineering, and Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science – during a ceremony on NTUA’s campus on June 10, 2024.
The honor recognizes Chandrakasan’s pioneering work in low-power electronics, as well as his impactful leadership in advancing engineering education and research.
“This recognition holds immense significance to me personally, as it comes from an institution that upholds the highest standards of excellence in engineering education and research that I have spent my entire career pursuing,” said Chandrakasan in his acceptance speech.
A faculty member at MIT since 1994, Chandrakasan serves as the university’s inaugural Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer and Dean of the School of Engineering. His research introduced concepts like parallelism and low-voltage operation that enabled ultra-low power signal processing systems and ubiquitous computing.
“Professor Chandrakasan’s groundbreaking research on energy-efficient integrated circuits and systems has revolutionized the way we design and implement low-power computing devices, wireless sensors, and personal multimedia terminals,” said Paul-Peter Sotiriadis, a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NTUA and Chandrakasan’s former PhD student.
As Dean of Engineering at MIT since 2017, Chandrakasan has launched over 20 cross-disciplinary initiatives and programs in areas including climate change, sustainability, artificial intelligence, and life sciences. He has also created a number of programs that support and elevate students, faculty, and staff throughout the School of Engineering.
“Professor Chandrakasan, your groundbreaking work and visionary leadership have left a lasting mark on the world of engineering, and it is our privilege to recognize your exceptional achievements,” said Professor Ioannis Chatjigeorgiou, Rector of the NTUA, in opening remarks at the ceremony.
During his time at MIT, Chandrakasan has graduated 75 PhD students and, in his role as both department head of MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Dean of Engineering, has launched numerous educational, research, and entrepreneurial programs to support the growth of engineering students.
“Beyond his academic and administrative achievements, Professor Chandrakasan is a dedicated and motivating mentor and educator. As his doctoral student, I witnessed his unwavering commitment to nurturing the next generation of researchers and leaders,” Sotiriadis added in his introduction of Chandrakasan.
Throughout his career, Chandrakasan has garnered numerous honors and accolades, including the 2019 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Solid-State Circuits Society Distinguished Service Award, the 2013 IEEE Donald O. Pederson Award in Solid-State Circuits, and the 2022 IEEE Mildred Dresselhaus Medal. He was recognized as the author with the highest number of publications in the 60-year history of the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC). He is a fellow of IEEE and the Association for Computing Machinery, and an elected member of the National Academic of Engineering and American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
During Chandrakasan’s keynote address at the ceremony, he provided an overview of advances in energy efficient and secure circuits and systems. He also highlighted the long-standing ties between researchers and educators at MIT and the NTUA, both in their approach to solving global problems and in the exchange of minds. To date, 15 NTUA graduates have become MIT faculty and 14 MIT graduates have become NTUA faculty. There also have been numerous research collaborations between experts at the two universities. Chandrakasan concluded his remarks by reflecting on the honor NTUA bestowed upon him.
“It is truly a privilege to be part of the distinguished community of scholars and innovators at the NTUA, united in our pursuit of knowledge and our commitment to making a positive impact on the world,” Chandrakasan emphasized.
