In Memoriam

Kenneth R. Laker

Former IEEE President Kenneth R. Laker died on August 2, 2023. He was an IEEE Life Fellow and a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania for over 30 years. Professor Laker made a significant and long-lasting impact on IEEE. In addition to his tenure as IEEE President, which he chronicled in a 2011 IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine article, he was a longtime member of the Solid-State Circuits Society and the Circuits and Systems Society, serving as CASS president in 1983. He also served IEEE as a Section Chair, Division Director, and Vice President of Educational Activities. 

Professor Laker was an equally successful researcher and engineer with seminal contributions in the areas of multi-loop feedback active-RC filters, parasitic-insensitive active-SC filters, and SAW filters.

More information about Professor Laker's personal and professional achievements can be found on the Engineering and Technology History Wiki, and on this memorial page.

Gordon Moore

Gordon Moore passed away on March 24th at the age of 94. On behalf of the entire Solid-State Circuits Community, I would like to express our sympathy to the Moore family and close colleagues. Gordon Moore was a co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel Corporation, and former chairman of Intel. He was also an active philanthropist and the originator of “Moore’s Law.” Dr. Moore was influential in the creation of the Solid-State Circuits Council (the forerunner of SSCS) and served as the Council’s second president. Many of us remember his plenary talk at the 50th anniversary of the ISSCC in 2003: https://sscs.ieee.org/about/ic-history/isscc-50th-museum

In 1965, decades before the personal computer revolution, Moore wrote an article in Electronics Magazine that predicted silicon IC technology would create "home computers ... automatic controls for automobiles, and personal portable communications". He also observed that the cost benefits of monolithic integration were improving at an exponential rate. The number of transistors on a silicon chip had doubled every year since ICs were invented a few years earlier, and Gordon predicted this trend continuing into the future. His insights gave engineers and managers a goal, and it pushed our industry to make his predictions come true.

Gordon Moore predicted a pace of change driven by human ingenuity as well as the rules of physics.

Dr. Moore was surprised by the longevity of his vision, and that his observation became such a large part of his legacy. He commented once in an interview, "It's amazing how often I run across a reference to Moore's Law.” “In fact, I googled Moore's Law and I googled Murphy's Law. Moore beats Murphy by at least two to one."

Numerous tributes have been published documenting Dr. Moore’s career in the media and online,

IEEE Spectrum: https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-legacy-of-gordon-moore

Full obituary from Intel: https://www.intc.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1611/gordon-moore-intel-co-founder-dies-at-94

More information about Dr. Moore: https://spectrum.ieee.org/gordon-moores-next-act

David Hodges

David A. Hodges, a former dean of UC Berkeley's College of Engineering and an active IEEE, Solid-State Circuits Council, and Solid-State Circuits Society (SSCS) volunteer, passed away on November 13, 2022. 

Katherine Olstein

Katherine Olstein (nee Bruder), an accomplished scholar and loving mother and grandmother, died peacefully on Feb. 7 in her home in Highland Park, N.J. She was 80 years old. Katherine served as News Editor of the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine and was instrumental to that publication's launch; she also was a Senior Society Administrator at the Solid-State Circuits Society from 2005 to 2015. She is remembered by staff and volunteers as an extraordinary, wonderful, and joyful individual. A full memorial article from her local newspaper can be found here.

Ninoslav Stojadinović

Ninoslav Stojadinović, a friend of many, passed away on December 25, 2020, after one month of fight with Covid-19. Ninoslav, for friends Nino, was a chairman of many conferences, editor of many scientific journals, well-known and famous professor, a highly respected mentor to his students, and a role model for colleagues.

Ninoslav D. Stojadinović was born in Niš on 20 September 1950 (father Dobrivoje Stojadinović and mother Nadežda Đorđević). He was married to Anđelka with whom he had a son Dragan. He spent most of his student and working life at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering, University of Niš, Serbia. It was at this university where he obtained all his degrees, B.S. (1974), M.S. (1977), and Ph.D. (1980), all in Electrical Engineering. He started first professional job in "Ei-Semiconductors" in Niš in 1974, joined the Faculty of Electronic Engineering in 1976, where he became Full Professor in 1991. He was Head of the Department of Microelectronics (1984-2005), Vice-Dean (1986-1989), and Dean of the Faculty of Electronic Engineering in Niš (1989-1994). He was Vice-Director of SASA Research Center at the University of Niš from 1991-1996. Based on his versatile scientific and teaching work, as well as the achieved results, he became an Academician at the Department of Technical Sciences of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SASA, corresponding member from October 30, 2003; full member from November 1, 2012). He was President of the SASA branch in Niš from 2016-2020.

Ninoslav Stojadinović was a member of commissions for promotion of teaching staff at Griffith University (Australia), Brown University (USA), National Technical University of Athens (Greece), Technical University of Sofia (Bulgaria), and Banaras Hindu University (India). In 1997 he was a visiting professor at the Technical University of Wien. Under his supervision 48 Dipl. Ing. theses, 13 M.Sc. theses, and 17 Ph.D. theses were realised. Since 1990 he was a member of the Editorial Board of Microelectronics Journal (Elsevier), while from 1993-1995 he was Editor-in-Chief of this very journal. From 1993-1996 he was Regional Editor for Europe of Microelectronics Reliability (Elsevier), and Editor-in-Chief of this journal in period 1996-2017. From 2013-2020 he was Editor-in-Chief of the journal Facta Universitatis, Series: Electronics and Energetics (University of Niš). Also, he was member of the Scientific and/or Programme Committee of more than 50 international and numerous national scientific meetings.

Since 1986 he was a member of the International Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). In the period 2002-2005 he was Chair of Serbia & Montenegro IEEE Section, from 1994-2020 he was Chair of its IEEE ED/SSC Chapter. In 1998 he became IEEE Senior member, in 2003 IEEE Fellow, and in 2019 Life Fellow. Since 1996 he was IEEE EDS Distinguished Lecturer for the field of microelectronics. He was Chair of Society for ETRAN in the period 2001-2006. He was Editor-in-Chief of journal IEEE EDS Newsletters in the period 1998-2001, and IEEE EDS AdCom member in the period 2002-2007. In the period 1984-1991 he was member of expert teams for creation of development strategy of microelectronics and electronics in Serbia and Yugoslavia. From 1990-1995 he was Chair of Committee for Electrotechnics, and from 1995-1998 he was member of Committee for Information Technology at the Ministry of Science and Technology of Republic of Serbia.

In 1988 he founded the Department of Microelectronics at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering in Niš, and course in microelectronics. In the period 1988-1991 within the Department of Microelectronics at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering in Niš, he founded three scientific research laboratories where several scientific research projects were realised. Since 2001 he was a member of International Scientific Advisory Boards at Center for Nanotechnologies, Clemson University (USA) and Center of Excellence: Micro and Nanotechnology Applied Research, Warsaw Technical University (Poland). Since 2005 he was member of the European Expert Commission for the Seventh Research Framework Program EC FP7, while since 2008 he was consultant of the National Science Foundation of Taiwan Government (NSFTG).

Ninoslav Stojadinović published 97 papers (9 invited/review) in the reputable international journals of SCI list and 185 papers (23 invited) in the proceedings of international and national scientific conferences. He was author/coauthor of four chapters in international monographs: Computer Engineering Handbook and Digital Design and Fabrication (CRC Press, USA), Micro Electronic and Mechanical Systems (IN-TECH Press, Boca Raton) and Bias Temperature Instability for Devices and Circuits (Springer Science). According to data from SCOPUS, his papers are cited more than 560 times. He realised a number of technological solutions, six of which are applied in microelectronics industry all over the world.

Ninoslav Stojadinović had significant political and diplomatic experience. He was a member of the Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in the period 1997-2000, member of the Assembly of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, and its representative to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in the period 2004-2006, Deputy Speaker of Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in the period 2014-2016. Also, he was Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the Kindgom of Sweden (2005-2011) and Bosnia and Hercegovina (2011-2013).

Nino was always available to support students and colleagues in their first steps in many important professional tasks. We will never forget his significant contribution in all fields.

We will miss him for a long time but his contribution will stay engraved in the marble of the history of many universities, institutions, journals and conferences.

We express our deepest condolences to all scientists around the world who followed his works, known him, or met him.

 Edgar Sánchez-Sinencio

Edgar, a friend of many, passed away on November 20, 2020 surrounded by his family in College Station, Texas. Edgar was a leader in the analog IC design community, a highly respected mentor to his students, and a role model for both colleagues and peers.

Edgar was born in Mexico City in 1944.  He received a degree in Communications and Electronic Engineering from The National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico (IPN).  Early in his career, he worked for The lnstituto Mexicano del Petroleo while studying advanced courses at IPN in the evenings to satisfy his insatiable curiosity of engineering.   In 1970, Stanford University conferred on him the Master of Science degree.  He obtained his Doctor in Philosophy degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana for his thesis, Computer Aided Design of Microwave Circuits, in 1973.  After receiving his doctoral degree, Edgar spent a year at the Central Research Laboratories of Nippon Electric Company as a postdoctoral researcher.

Upon his return to Mexico in 1974, he joined the Department of Electronics at the National Institute of Astrophysics Optics and Electronics (INAOE) in Tonantzintla, Puebla.  At INAOE, Edgar founded the graduate program in the electronics field and promoted the creation of the Microelectronics Laboratory while serving as head of the department.  The state-of-the art Microelectronics Laboratory was widely recognized in the field and provided unique opportunities for students and researchers throughout Latin America.  In 1995, INAOE awarded Edgar the Honoris Causa Doctorate for his contributions in the analog integrated circuits field.

In 1983 Edgar became a professor of electrical engineering at Texas A&M University in College Station Texas, a position he held for 37 years along with the Texas Instruments’ Jack Kilby Chair.  He served for many years as Director of the Analog and Mixed Signal Center and was recognized as a Texas A&M University Distinguished Professor in 2005.

Graduating 58 M.Sc. and 62 PhD students, Edgar was ever so proud of his students. Edgar authored and co-authored more than 400 scientific articles in refereed publications.  He also authored and co-authored and edited various books, including Switched Capacitor Circuits, co-authored with Phillip Allen (1984), Low-Voltage/Low-Power Integrated Circuits and Systems, co-authored with Andreas Andreou (1999), and Artificial Neural Networks, co-authored with Clifford Lau (1992).

Edgar was a co-recipient of the Guillemin-Cauer Award (1995) for his work on cellular networks and the Darlington Award (1997) for his work on high-frequency filters.  He was recipient of the Texas Senate Proclamation for Outstanding Accomplishments in 1996 followed by the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Golden Jubilee Medal in 1999 and the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Charles A. Desoer Technical Achievement Award in 2008.

Edgar was a proud IEEE Life Fellow and was elevated to fellow grade in 1992.  He has served as a member of the Board of Governors of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society (CASS) and as Vice President of Publications for CASS.   He was Editor -in Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Express Briefs.   He has also served as a Distinguished Lecturer of the CASS.  On two occasions he served as General Chair/Co-Chair of the IEEE Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems.  He was a life member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).  Throughout his career, Edgar was active in a large number of professional activities across the globe including offering numerous workshops and lectures, serving on organizing committees of numerous conferences, serving as guest editor on timely publications, and engaging in numerous collaborative research and outreach programs.    His efforts in Latin America and South America, in particular, have played a key role in increasing IEEE activities in these regions; and more recently, his efforts to establish ties with Ghana have resulted in a growth of CASS activities and new opportunities for students in Western Africa.

Edgar co-founded Vidatronic with his former student, Moises Robinson.  Specializing in enhancing the efficiency and performance of electronic devices, Edgar served as the Chief Technology Officer of the company.

With the generous support and help from his friends, industry, and former students, the endowed Edgar Sanchez-Sinencio and Yolanda F. de Sanchez Chair was created at TAMU to support a faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.   A scholarship fund in his name has also been established.