IEEE Fellow Henry Samueli, cofounder of Broadcom, is the 2025 IEEE Medal of Honor Laureate. He’s being acknowledged for his “pioneering analysis and commercialization of broadband communication and networking applied sciences, and promotion of STEM schooling.” The information was introduced on 20 February in New York Metropolis at a devoted press convention.
Samueli is the primary recipient of the IEEE Medal of Honor since its financial prize was elevated to US $2 million from $50,000. IEEE sponsors the annual award.
Receiving the consideration “is overwhelming after I take into consideration all of the previous recipients,” Samueli mentioned on the press convention. They embody expertise pioneers and IEEE Life Fellows Robert Kahn, Vint Cerf, and Mildred Dresselhaus.
“Once I have a look at that checklist, it truly is humbling to even be thought-about,” Samueli mentioned. “I’m deeply honored.”
Whereas an engineering professor on the College of California, Los Angeles, within the late Eighties, Samueli and one in every of his Ph.D. college students conceived digital sign processing architectures for broadband communications chips and designed the world’s first chips for digital interactive tv. After publishing their analysis, they determined to commercialize their product and in 1991 based Broadcom in San Jose, Calif. They constructed the primary digital cable set-top-box modem chipset, which served because the cable sign receiver.
Right this moment Samueli is chairman of the corporate’s board.
“By means of broadband, Henry Samueli helped revolutionize how the world is linked, fostered cultural and financial paradigm shifts of numerous industries, and positively modified how we do all the things as we speak,” 2022 IEEE President and CEO Okay. J. Ray Liu mentioned on the information convention. Liu can also be the chair of the Advert Hoc Committee on Elevating the Status of IEEE Awards. “As well as, his prolific philanthropy has deeply impacted many lives for the higher—from beneficiant help of STEM schooling to a pledge to provide away the vast majority of his cash throughout his lifetime. These contributions are exemplary for technologists, modeling the impression they’ll haven’t simply on the world they reside in however for individuals who observe them.”
One engine of Samueli’s philanthropy, the Samueli Basis, helps science, expertise, engineering, and math schooling; integrative well being; youth companies; and social justice applications.
This 12 months’s Medal of Honor, together with different high-profile IEEE awards, can be offered on the IEEE Honors Ceremony, to be held on 24 April in Tokyo.
A video of the information convention held on 20 February throughout which IEEE Fellow Henry Samueli, a Broadcom cofounder, was named the 2025 IEEE Medal of Honor Laureate.
Creating broadband expertise
Samueli, who grew up in Los Angeles, was impressed to pursue a profession in electrical engineering after constructing an AM/FM shortwave radio utilizing a Heathkit electronics equipment for a store class, in accordance with a 2021 Institute profile of Samueli. After graduating highschool, he attended UCLA, the place he earned a bachelor’s diploma in 1975, a grasp’s diploma in 1976, and a doctorate in 1980, all in electrical engineering. He then joined protection contractor TRW at its Redondo Seashore, Calif., campus as a member of the technical workers.
Whereas there, he additionally taught engineering programs at California State College, Northridge, and UCLA. In 1985 he accepted UCLA’s provide to turn into an EE professor. Along with educating, he supervised analysis applications in broadband communications circuits and digital sign processing. It was at UCLA that he and one in every of his Ph.D. college students based Broadcom.
Samueli took a go away of absence from UCLA to work at Broadcom full time as its CTO. He served in that place till 2018, two years after the corporate merged with semiconductor producer Avago Applied sciences, additionally of San Jose.
Supporting STEM schooling
Samueli has made main societal, academic, and financial impression by his philanthropic work, donating greater than $1 billion to organizations specializing in STEM schooling, underserved youth, and integrative well being.
In 2000 he and his spouse, Susan, donated $30 million to UCLA’s engineering faculty, which then was named after him. In 2019 the Samueli Basis donated $100 million extra.
“By means of broadband, Henry Samueli helped revolutionize how the world is linked, fostered cultural and financial paradigm shifts of numerous industries, and positively modified how we do all the things as we speak.” —Okay. J. Ray Liu
The muse additionally gave $200 million in 2017 to the College of California, Irvine. The college used the reward for the development and endowment of the Samueli School of Well being Sciences, which focuses on interdisciplinary integrative well being.
Samueli and his spouse based the Samueli Academy in Santa Ana, Calif., an underserved neighborhood in Orange County. The general public constitution faculty is for center and highschool college students, a few of whom reside in foster care.
The Samuelis are members of the Giving Pledge, a gaggle that consists of main philanthropists who promise to provide away the vast majority of their cash throughout their lifetime.
Recommendation for the subsequent technology of engineers
After the press convention in New York, Samueli joined 2025 IEEE President and CEO Kathleen Kramer, the group’s Government Director and COO Sophia Muirhead, and Liu, for a hearth chat. Samueli defined the function IEEE has performed in his profession, and he spoke to the subsequent technology of engineers.
He joined IEEE when he was a UCLA undergraduate, he mentioned, as a result of he needed to entry the analysis of school and college students from around the globe.
“IEEE has been a useful useful resource for me all through my profession,” he mentioned. “I wouldn’t have been capable of accomplish something with out IEEE’s sources.”
Samueli, an eminent member of the IEEE–Eta Kappa Nu honor society, obtained the 2021 IEEE Founders Medal for “management in analysis, growth, and commercialization of broadband communication and networking expertise with world impression.”
When requested by Muirhead to advise present college students and younger professionals, he mentioned: “Fasten your seat belts as a result of the world is altering at a tempo now that we’ve got by no means seen earlier than.
“Once I completed my faculty profession and was coming into the engineering occupation as a researcher in semiconductors and communications, we had so-called Moore’s Regulation, which is predictable,” he mentioned. “Right this moment I don’t know anyone who can say they know what synthetic intelligence goes to deliver us in 5 years, not to mention in a single 12 months or two years.”
He inspired college students and younger professionals to be adaptable and versatile, and to not fear about failing, as a result of it’s to be anticipated.
To study extra about his profession and philanthropic work, learn IEEE Spectrum’sprofile of him within the upcoming Could print version.
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