Nov 5 2009
Dr. John E. Kelly III, senior vice president and director of Research at IBM, has been named 2009 winner of the semiconductor industry's highest honor, the Robert N. Noyce Award. The award is presented by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) to recognize outstanding contributions to the microelectronics industry.
“Innovation is the lifeblood of the semiconductor industry,” said John Daane, president, chairman, and chief executive officer of Altera Corporation and chairman of SIA. “Dr. John Kelly has played a very important role in driving innovation in microelectronics. Dr. Kelly heads up worldwide operations of IBM Research with approximately 3,000 employees at eight laboratories in six countries around the world. In his 10 years as a member of the SIA board of directors and a past chairman, Dr. Kelly has been an effective advocate for increased federal and corporate support for the basic scientific research essential to continued progress in microelectronics. Recognizing that most basic research is carried out at our universities, Dr. Kelly has also made important contributions to training the scientists and engineers of the future. We are very pleased and proud to recognize John Kelly with the industry's highest honor, the Robert N. Noyce Award,” Daane concluded.
Dr. Kelly joined IBM in 1980. In the ensuing years, he has held numerous management and technical positions related to the development and manufacturing of advanced semiconductor technologies. He began his current assignment in 2007. In this capacity, he also leads IBM's worldwide intellectual property business. Dr. Kelly received a BS in physics from Union College, an MS in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a doctorate in materials science from RPI. He also received an honorary Doctor of Science Degree from the Graduate School at Union College.