The Philip and Virginia Sproul Professorship was established in 2013 with a gift from the Sproul estate. The Professorship funds postdoctoral research assistants, graduate students and numerous research initiatives for the awarded professor.
Philip Tate Sproul (1915-2011) earned two degrees from Iowa State and was a Technical Staff Member at Bell Laboratories from 1937-80. At Bell, he helped develop military radar during the Second World War, and was awarded a patent for permanent magnet focus for picture tubes – a now-universal component of radar, of which he is listed as the sole inventor.
Sproul is a member of the Order of the Knoll at Iowa State, a life member of the Old Guard of Summit, New Jersey, and a Life Senior Member of the IEEE. In addition, he is an Honorary Member of the Iowa State Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
PROFESSORSHIP RECIPIENTS
- Arun K. Somani (2014-present)