2009 IEEE Eric E. Sumner Award

Roberto Padovani

" For pioneering innovations in wireless communications, particularly to the evolution of CDMA for wireless broadband data. "

Digital communication systems pioneer Roberto Padovani transformed wireless communications by developing and commercializing third generation (3G) cellular communications networks incorporating code division multiple access (CDMA) technology.

Dr. Padovani created the original CDMA technology with digital processing algorithms and techniques for generation, acquisition and tracking of pseudo-random systems and modulation and demodulation of higher-order signal constellations and development of turbo codes, all incorporated on microchips that were continuously seeing reductions in size, power and cost.

The 3G cellular phones, smart-phones and data cards that consumers purchase today implement the ideas and techniques developed by these research efforts. Today 700 million users worldwide use 3G cellular phones. Dr. Padovani then evolved CDMA into a platform that could also support digital broadband data at rates that were much higher than those required for voice, resulting in the 1x and EVDO standards. An IEEE Fellow, Dr. Padovani is executive vice president and chief technology officer at Qualcomm, Inc., San Diego, California.

2009 Aaron D. Wyner Distinguished Service Award

Richard E. Blahut

“For outstanding leadership in, and provided longstanding exceptional service to, the information theory community.”

2009 IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal

Robert J. McEliece

" For fundamental contributions to the theory and practice of error-correcting codes and to the design of deep space telecommunication systems. "

2009 IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal

Peter Franaszek

" For pioneering contributions to the theory and practice of constrained channel coding. "

2009 IEEE Donald G. Fink Prize Paper Award

Daniel J. Costello and G. David Forney, Jr.

"For their paper entitled: Channel Coding: The Road to Channel Capacity , Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 95, No. 6, June 2007, pp. 1150-1177"