John E. Kelly III ’76, senior vice president and director of research at IBM, is this year’s recipient of the Robert N. Noyce Award, the semiconductor industry`s highest honor, it was announced today.
The award is presented annually 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 the SIA. “John Kelly has played a very important role in driving innovation in microelectronics. Recognizing that most basic research is carried out at our universities, he has also made important contributions to training the scientists and engineers of the future.”
Kelly joined IBM in 1980. He received a bachelor’s degree in physics from Union in 1976, a master’s in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1978 and his doctorate in materials engineering from RPI in 1980. He also received an honorary Doctor of Science Degree from Union Graduate College.
An avid supporter of Union, he has been a member of the College’s Board of Trustees since 2003.
In 2006, the College dedicated the John E. Kelly III ’76 Digital Arts Lab. Kelly had earmarked part of his contribution to the College’s $250 million “You are Union” campaign for support of the digital arts program, an interdisciplinary endeavor between the departments of Visual Arts and Computer Science.