Endowed Professorships and Chairs

The Arend J. and Verna V. Sandbulte Professorship in Engineering was created in 2010 by a gift from Arend “Sandy” Sandbulte (BSEE ’59) and his wife, Verna Sandbulte, to support an elite faculty member in electric energy.

Sandy spent 31 years at Minnesota Power, a major utility company in the Midwest. He rose through the leadership ranks at Minnesota Power and served as President and CEO from 1989 until his retirement in 1996. He was well-known throughout the electric power industry as an innovative leader who cared deeply for his employees, famous for the fact that he knew and remembered the name of every one of them. The Sandbultes, who reside in Duluth, Minn., have maintained strong contacts with Iowa State University and have provided strong and continued support for the university and the department.

Recipients

• Ian Dobson (2011-present)

In 1997, the ISU Foundation and ECpE department established the David C. Nicholas Professorship to support the activities of an electrical engineering professor. The professorship was created with a portion of the royalties from a patent for fax technology that Nicholas (BSEE ’67; MSEE ’68; PhDEE ’71) developed when he was a graduate student at Iowa State. Nicholas invented the digital encoding process for fax machines that led to the development of the first generation of low-cost fax machines, making the machines commercially viable. Nicholas’ technology has been licensed to all but one of the major fax makers and his patent is the highest earning patent in Iowa State history, earning $36 million to date.

Nicholas worked at Rockwell Collins, where he has held engineering and management positions since 1971, until his retirement in 2009. At Rockwell Collins, he has worked on the design of telephone switching systems, mobile satellite communications systems, avionics systems, and engineering continuing education programs. Nicholas holds 12 patents and was inducted into the Iowa Inventors Hall of Fame in 1992.

Recipients

• Julie Dickerson (2020-present)
• Venkataramana Ajjarapu (2009-2020)
• Robert J. Weber (2002-2009)
• Arun K. Somani (1997-2002)

A gift from Kirby Gray, a 1945 electrical engineering bachelor’s degree graduate, established both the Kirby Gray Chair in Engineering and John Ryder Professorship in Engineering in 2009.

The John Ryder Professorship in Engineering honors John D. “Jack” Ryder (PhDEE ’44), a former electrical engineering faculty member who was influential in Gray’s life. Ryder, along with former department chair Warren B. Boast, constructed the AC network analyzer in 1949 that power utilities used to simulate entire transmission and generating systems. Ryder also was instrumental in helping to design the Electrical Engineering Building (now called Coover Hall) in 1942. The professorship will be awarded to a faculty member in electrical, computer, or industrial engineering.

Recipients

• Gary Mirka (2009-present)

Murray J. (BSEE ’43) and Ruth M. Harpole created the Harpole Professorship in Electrical Engineering in 2000 to support senior-level professors who provide leadership in developing ECpE academic courses and research programs, seek interdisciplinary applications of teaching and research concepts, and promote communication and interaction with industry.

Murray began his career on the Manhattan Project for development of the atomic bomb, and his next 20 years included a variety of research and development work, including serving as project director in the development of the “Alvin” research submarine. He also served as chairman and CEO of Pentair, a global, diversified manufacturing company that he co-founded. Today the company is a global leader in water handling equipment and industrial enclosures for electrical and electronic equipment, with annual sales of nearly $3 billion and more than 13,000 employees. After his retirement, Murray wrote a book on developing a new company, titled Living the American Dream — Pentair, Inc., the First Twenty-five Years. Murray was inducted into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame and received the College of Engineering’s Professional Achievement Citation in Engineering in 1985.

The Harpoles have supported Iowa State in numerous ways, including major gifts to the Engineering Teaching and Research Complex, creation of the Murray and Ruth Harpole Graduate Fellowship, in addition to the Harpole Professorship, and a leadership gift for the renovation of Coover Hall. In 1987, Murray received the Anson Marston Medal. He served on the ECpE department’s External Advisory Board. Murray and Ruth received the ISU Foundation’s 2005 Order of the Knoll Campanile Award for service and generosity that advanced the excellence of Iowa State.

Murray passed away in May 2011 at the age of 89.

Recipients

• Manimaran Govindarasu (2021-present)
• Ratnesh Kumar (2017-2020)
• Jim McCalley (2008-2016)
• Vijay Vittal (2000-2004)

Northrop Grumman Corporation (formerly Litton Industries) established the Northrop Grumman Professorship (formerly The Litton Industries Professorship) in 1992 in honor of Fred W. O’Green (BSEE ’43), who served as Litton Industries’ president and chairman in the 1970s and 1980s. The professorship supports young faculty who exhibit a potential for leadership in electrical or computer engineering research, have a recognized commitment to excellence in teaching, and share his or her talents by collaborating with industry.

After college, O’Green worked as a civilian at the Naval Ordinance Laboratories. In 1956, he went to work for Lockheed Corporation and then joined Litton Industries in 1962. While at Lockheed, O’Green was a pioneer in the U.S. space program, helping to accelerate the program after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I. He also earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland. O’Green passed away in 1998 at age 77.

Litton Industries, now owned by Northup Grumman, was founded by Charles Litton based on an invention he developed in the 1930s to mass-produce glass radio transmitting tubes. The company later specialized in developing navigational electronics, computing equipment, electronic warfare equipment, and communications systems for the military.

The Litton Industries Professorship officially became known as the Northrop Grumman Professorship in July 2011.

PROFESSORSHIP RECIPIENTS:

• Zhaoyu Wang (2021-present)
• Liang Dong (2020-2021)
• Julie Dickerson (2017-2019)
• Meng Lu (2014-2015)
• Ayman Fayed (2013-2014)
• Sumit Chaudhary (2011-2013)
• Lei Ying (2010-2012)
• Umesh Vaidya (2010-2011)
• Dionysios Aliprantis (2009-2011)
• Tien Nguyen (2008-2009)
• Yong Guan (2007-2008)
• Aleksandar Dogandzic (2006-2007)
• Manimaran Govindarasu (2004-2005)
• Murti Salapaka (2002-2003)
• Carolina Cruz-Neira (1997-2001)

The Ross Martin Mehl and Marylyne Munas Mehl Professorship in Computer Engineering was created in 2008 by a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. Endowed professorships, one of the most esteemed positions in academia, are awarded only to the top tier of faculty. A professorship holder is engaged with all aspects of the university and often directs programs and mentors fellow faculty and graduate students, dramatically enriching the academic experience for students. The position commands considerable prestige within the university community and in the larger academic and professional field. Additionally, funding from endowed professorships provide faculty members with resources to initiate preliminary research ventures that produce data necessary to jump-start larger efforts or secure research grants, build or acquire equipment and technology needed to apply state-of-the-art research techniques, and travel to gain insights and solutions to critical problems by networking with researchers from academia and industry.

The Mehl Professorship supports research and related activities of an ECpE professor. The inaugural recipient of this endowed professorship was Srinivas Aluru. The position currently is held by Manimaran Govindarasu.

Recipients

• Joseph Zambreno (2021-present)
• Manimaran Govindarasu (2013-2021)
• Srinivas Aluru (2009-2013)

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.

Recipients

• Arun K. Somani (2014-present)

Donna L. Whitney established the Thomas M. Whitney Professorship in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1999, in memory of her late husband. The professorship supports retention and recruitment of a faculty member who provides leadership in developing ECpE academic and research programs, promotes communication and interaction with industry and the academia, and maintains high standards of excellence for building an innovative academic and research program.

Thomas (BSEE ’61; MSEE ’62; PhDEE ’64) joined Hewlett-Packard in 1967, where he helped develop the world’s first hand-held scientific calculator. In 1978, he became executive vice president of engineering for Apple Computer, and in 1981 he became a venture capitalist. He has received Iowa State’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award (1973) and the College of Engineering’s Professional Achievement Citation in Engineering (1982). He passed away in 1986 at age 47.

Donna also has provided support for the Engineering Teaching Research Complex, student scholarships, and faculty development opportunities. She is a member of the ISU Foundation’s Board of Governors and has served on the ISU Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Recipients

• Venkataramana Ajjarapu (2020-present)
• Vikram Dalal (2002-2020)
• Satish Udpa (2001-2002)

In 2002, Willard Richardson (BSEE ’34) and his wife, Leitha, made a gift of $500,000 to endow the first faculty professorship in electrical and computer engineering, the Richardson Professorship. The professorship supports research and graduate students for an ECpE faculty member.

Willard began his career in 1937 with HDR, an architecture and engineering consulting firm based in Omaha, Nebraska. He was named vice president, secretary, and treasurer in 1946 and executive vice president and treasurer in 1950. He retired in 1977 as senior vice president and partner. Willard and Leitha also have supported many other Iowa State programs, including National Merit Scholarships and Team PrISUm, the university’s student solar car team.

Recipients

• Hongwei Zhang (2024-Present)
• Ahmed Kamal (2020-2023)
• Suraj Kothari (2012-2020)
• Randall L. Geiger (2002-2012)

The Vikram L. Dalal Professorship in Electrical and Computer Engineering was established in 2021 by ECpE Anson Marston Distinguished Professor Vikram Dalal, Micron Technology and former students of Dalal who are grateful for the education and guidance he provided during their time at Iowa State and throughout their careers. Donors provided more than $500,000 to endow this professorship.

Dalal has had an impactful and distinguished career in the field of microelectronics and photonics in ECpE at Iowa State. He received his B.E. (EE) degree from University of Bombay, India, in 1964 and his Ph.D. in EE from Princeton in 1969. He has an extensive research record in both industry and academia and has been at Iowa State since 1988. He has graduated over 25 Ph.D. students and over 30 M.S. students. His primary research interests are in photovoltaic energy conversion materials and devices and semiconductor processing. He has published over 170 papers, holds 12 U.S. patents, and is a fellow of IEEE, American Physical Society, and AAAS. He has been Director of the Iowa State University Microelectronics Research Center since 1999.

Recipients

• Liang Dong (2021-present)

The donations of $1.5 million from nearly 200 ECpE alumni and support from Texas Instruments created the endowed Jerry R. Junkins Chair position in 1996. Junkins (BSEE ’59), who rose to become the CEO and president of Texas Instruments, passed away suddenly while traveling on business in 1996. Texas Instruments employees and Iowa State alumni organized the Jerry R. Junkins Memorial Fund Campaign to honor their boss and his alma mater.

The chair position is awarded to a professor who demonstrates understanding of the theory and application of digital signal processing and information technologies, provides leadership in developing digital signal processing and information technology courses and research programs, maintains high standards of excellence to build a program rich in innovation and educational effectiveness, and promotes communication and interaction with industry, especially with Texas Instruments.

CHAIR RECIPIENTS:

• Degang J. Chen (2014-present)
• Arun K. Somani (2002-2014)

A gift from Kirby Gray, a 1945 electrical engineering bachelor’s degree graduate, established both the Kirby Gray Chair in Engineering and John Ryder Professorship in Engineering in 2009.

The Kirby Gray Chair in Engineering will be awarded to a leading faculty member in electrical, computer, or industrial engineering. The recipient of this chair will be recruited to Iowa State because of his or her success at creating knowledge or discoveries that will lead to new businesses and jobs in Iowa. The Iowa legislature shares these goals and matched the Kirby funds with an additional $500,000.

Gray, originally from northwest Iowa, entered Iowa State in 1942 and joined the wartime Navy V-12 program the following year. After completing midshipman training at Columbia University and graduating from Iowa State, he was stationed at Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands of the South Pacific. Gray continued pursuing education upon returning to the United States, earning his business administration degree at Morningside College, attending the Iowa State graduate college for general engineering, and studying accounting at Northwestern University.

As a professional, Gray’s career took him across the country, working in Illinois, Texas, Colorado, and Minnesota. His job responsibilities were varied, reflecting his extensive educational experiences, and included positions in industrial engineering, cost accounting, financial reporting, and quality control; working with administrative, manual, and machine business systems; and auditing financial and computer information systems. He retired in 1986 and traveled for 10 years before joining the Green Hills retirement community in Ames, Iowa. He passed away in August 2008.

Recipients

• Reza Zoughi (2019-present)

Barbara R. (BS household equipment ’46) and James R. (BSEE ’44) Palmer established the Palmer Professorship in Electrical Engineering in 1986 through a gift of $1 million to Iowa State. In March 2010, additional earnings from the endowed faculty position were used to establish the Palmer Department Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Proceeds from the Palmer Departmental Chair are used to strengthen the efforts of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering by supporting the scholarly research and educational initiatives of the chair holder, cutting edge research and educational programs in the department, and recruiting world-renowned faculty and top students to the department.

James began his career with C-Cor Electronics in State College, Pennsylvania, in 1955 and rapidly built the firm into an industry leader in the area of CATV. In the 1970s and 1980s, C-Cor led the way in bandwidth expansion as cable TV revolutionized American media. James retired as C-Cor’s chairman and president in 1985. The Palmers also have funded the James R. and Barbara R. Palmer Graduate Fellowship in Electrical Engineering and the Irving Raeder Scholarship for Excellence, in memory of Barbara’s father, a 1918 graduate of Iowa State.

Professorship recipients

• Ratnesh Kumar (2021-present)
• Chen-Ching Liu (2006-2008)
• Subrahmanyam S. “Mani” Venkata (2003)
• William Lord (1988-2001)

Chair recipients

• Ashfaq Khokhar (2017-present)
• David C. Jiles (2010-2016)

Maurice “Jack” London is a 1937 graduate of the Electrical Engineering Department in the College of Engineering at Iowa State University. Jack had a successful career in the utility industry in the Chicago area with Commonwealth Edison. He also lettered in baseball during his time at ISU. In honor of the impact that Iowa State had on his life, Jack has established the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at ISU as a significant benefactor of his estate.

Recipients

• James McCalley (2016-present)

Murray J. (BSEE ’43) and Ruth M. Harpole created the Harpole-Pentair Developing Faculty Award in 1986 to provide supplemental support and enrichment opportunities for young assistant professors.

The Harpoles also have supported the Engineering Teaching and Research Complex, student scholarships, and faculty development opportunities at Iowa State. Murray served as chairman and CEO of Pentair, a global, diversified manufacturing company that he co-founded. He was inducted into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame and received the College of Engineering’s Professional Achievement Citation in Engineering in 1985. In 1987, he received the Anson Marston Medal. He also served on the ECpE department’s External Advisory Board. Murray and Ruth received the ISU Foundation’s 2005 Order of the Knoll Campanile Award for service and generosity that advanced the excellence of Iowa State. He passed away in May 2011.

Recipients

• Henry Duwe (2021-present)
• Hugo Villegas Pico (2021-present)
• Goce Trajcevski (2020-present)
• Mai Zheng (2020-present)
• Zhaoyu Wang (2017-2021)
• Kathryn Stolee (2013-2014)
• Timothy Bigelow (2011-2013)
• Liang Dong (2010-2013)
• Aditya Ramamoorthy (2009-2011)
• Jaeyoun Kim (2009-2011)
• Namrata Vaswani (2008-2009)
• Daji Qiao (2008-2009)
• Jiming Song (2007-2008)
• Nicola Elia (2004-2005)
• Chris Chu (2004-2005)
• Gary Tuttle (1999-2000)

In 2011, Tunc (BSEE ’79) and Lale Doluca created the Doluca Professorship in Electrical and Computer Engineering to advance the mission and vision of the department and to make a major impact on the college’s ability to recruit and retain faculty, raising the caliber of the engineering educational experience at Iowa State University. The Doluca Professorship will be awarded to a leading faculty member with a preference for specialized teaching or research in analog and mixed signal integrated circuit design.

Tunc Doluca joined Maxim Integrated Products as a design engineer in 1984, two years after the company was formed. Early in his career, he was noted for his success at identifying product opportunities with strong demand in the marketplace and his ability to build successful business units that capitalized on these opportunities. Through a technical leadership position at Maxim, Doluca rose to president and CEO of the company, positions he has held since 2007.

This professorship is currently not available.

Recipients

• Randall L. Geiger (2012-2018)