Ernst Weber (September 6, 1901 in

Vienna, Austria en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

– February 16, 1996 in

Columbus, North Carolina Columbus is a town in Polk County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 999 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Polk County. History The Green River Plantation, J. G. Hughes House, and Polk County Courthouse are listed o ...

), Austria-born American

electrical engineer Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the ...

, was a pioneer in

microwave Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from about one meter to one millimeter corresponding to frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz respectively. Different sources define different frequency rang ...

technologies and played an important role in the history of the

New York University Tandon School of Engineering The New York University Tandon School of Engineering (commonly referred to as Tandon) is the engineering and applied sciences school of New York University. Tandon is the second oldest private engineering and technology school in the United Sta ...

, where in 1945 he founded the

Microwave Research Institute The Weber Research Institute (known prior to 1985 as the Microwave Research Institute) is a research group at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University. The institute's research focuses on electromagnetics, including "electromagnetic, acous ...

(later renamed the Weber Research Institute in his honor). Weber was also the first president of the

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operatio ...

(IEEE) and one of the founders of the U.S.

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy o ...

(NAE). From Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

Education and early years in Austria and Germany

Weber was born in

Vienna, Austria en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. In 1924 he graduated with an engineering degree, and started working for the

Siemens-Schuckert Siemens-Schuckert (or Siemens-Schuckertwerke) was a German electrical engineering company headquartered in Berlin, Erlangen and Nuremberg that was incorporated into the Siemens AG in 1966. Siemens Schuckert was founded in 1903 when Siemens & ...

company as electrical engineer, initially in Vienna. In the meantime he studied further and earned two doctorates, a Ph.D. in 1926 from the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public university, public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the Geogra ...

and a

Sc.D. Doctor of Science ( la, links=no, Scientiae Doctor), usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D., or D.S., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, "Doctor of Science" is the degree used f ...

in 1927 from the

Technical University of Vienna TU Wien (TUW; german: Technische Universität Wien; still known in English as the Vienna University of Technology from 1975–2014) is one of the major universities in Vienna, Austria. The university finds high international and domestic recogn ...

. Early 1929 he moved to Siemens-Schuckert headquarters in

Berlin, Germany Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

and started teaching at the

Technical University of Berlin The Technical University of Berlin (official name both in English and german: link=no, Technische Universität Berlin, also known as TU Berlin and Berlin Institute of Technology) is a public research university located in Berlin, Germany. It was ...

Awards and honors

Ernst Weber received several awards and honors, including: * The U.S.

President's Certificate of Merit The President's Certificate of Merit was created June 6, 1946 by Executive Order 9734 signed by US President Harry Truman, "for award by the President or at his direction to any civilian who on or after December 7, 1941'' (see Attack on Pearl Harbor ...

from President

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

in 1948 * The AIEE Education Medal in 1960, "for excellence as a teacher in science and electrical engineering, for creative contributions in research and development, for broad professional and administrative leadership and in all for a considerate approach to human relations" *

Eta Kappa Nu Eta Kappa Nu () or IEEE-HKN is the international honor society of the Computer Science and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). "The organization promotes excellence in the profession and in education through an emphasis ...

naming him an Eminent Member in 1962 * The

IEEE Founders Medal The IEEE Founders Medal is an award is presented for outstanding contributions in the leadership, planning, and administration of affairs of great value to the electrical and electronics engineering profession. It may be presented to an individual ...

in 1971, "for leadership in the advancement of the electrical and electronics engineering profession in the fields of education, engineering societies, industry and government" * The Microwave Career Award from the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society in 1977 * The U.S.

National Medal of Science The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social scienc ...

from President Ronald Reagan in 1987 * To honor him, IEEE renamed in 1996 the ''IEEE Engineering Leadership Recognition Award'' to

IEEE Ernst Weber Engineering Leadership Recognition Through its awards program, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers recognizes contributions that advance the fields of interest to the IEEE. For nearly a century, the IEEE Awards Program has paid tribute to technical professionals w ...

Books

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weber, Ernst 1901 births 1996 deaths Founding members of the United States National Academy of Engineering Polytechnic Institute of New York University faculty Presidents of the IEEE Fellows of the American Physical Society Austrian emigrants to the United States