IEEE Announces Highest Honor Recipient: 2026 Technology Pioneer Shaping the World with Innovation

As the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity, IEEE is pleased to announce the prestigious 2026 IEEE Medal recipients. This global honor recognizes exceptional individuals who have advanced technology through revolutionary innovations, scientific breakthroughs, and visionary leadership that benefit humankind.

This year's recipients embody the spirit of innovation and engineering leadership driving progress across diverse technological fields, impacting millions worldwide. Their achievements have strengthened critical infrastructure, expanded human knowledge, advanced healthcare, enabled new forms of communication, and improved quality of life globally. Together, they represent a diverse group of pioneers whose contributions are shaping a more connected, sustainable, and equitable future.

"Each year, IEEE Medals recognize individuals who not only achieve significant technical breakthroughs but also improve the human condition," said Kathleen Kramer, IEEE President and CEO in 2025. "The 2026 recipients exemplify the creativity, research excellence, and global impact that define IEEE and continue to inspire the next generation. From breakthroughs in computing and communications to life-changing innovations in healthcare, sustainability, and education, their contributions are shaping a better, more interconnected world."

The 2026 IEEE Medal recipients are:

IEEE FRANCES E. ALLEN MEDAL, sponsored by IBM – Luis von Ahn, IEEE Member, Duolingo. Von Ahn is honored for inventing CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA, pioneering human-computer interaction research, and founding Duolingo. His work has secured global internet infrastructure, digitized millions of books, and expanded access to free education for learners worldwide.

IEEE ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL MEDAL, sponsored by Nokia Bell Labs – Scott J. Shenker, IEEE Life Fellow, University of California, Berkeley. Shenker is recognized for groundbreaking research in computer networking and internet architecture that laid the foundation for modern cloud computing, data center design, and software-defined networking.

IEEE JAGADISH CHANDRA BOSE AWARD FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, sponsored by Dr. Mani L. Bhaumik – Erik Dahlman, IEEE Member; Stefan Parkvall, IEEE Fellow; Johan Sk?ld, IEEE Senior Member; all from Ericsson. They are honored for leadership in developing LTE (4G) and 5G standards, advancing global mobile broadband, and enabling modern communications, commerce, and the Internet of Things.

IEEE MILDRED DRESSELHAUS MEDAL, sponsored by Google – Karen Ann Panetta, IEEE Fellow, Tufts University. Panetta is recognized for contributions to image processing and for championing women in engineering through her Nerd Girls program. She has advanced applications in medical imaging and autonomous systems while expanding pathways in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for girls and women globally.

IEEE EDISON MEDAL, sponsored by the Edison Medal Fund – Eric A. Swanson, IEEE Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Swanson is one of the inventors of optical coherence tomography (OCT), a non-invasive, high-resolution imaging technique that revolutionized how clinicians diagnose and treat major eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related vision loss.

IEEE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES AWARD, sponsored by Toyota Motor Corporation – Wei-Jen Lee, IEEE Life Fellow, University of Texas at Arlington. Lee is honored for leadership in power systems and renewable energy integration, enhancing grid reliability, supporting clean energy adoption, and helping utilities manage renewables and reduce risks of large-scale blackouts.

IEEE FOUNDERS MEDAL, sponsored by IEEE Foundation – Marian R. Croak, Google. Croak pioneered Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies and mobile donation platforms, transforming global communication systems and humanitarian aid. Her leadership continues to influence responsible AI development.

IEEE RICHARD W. HAMMING MEDAL, sponsored by Qualcomm – Muriel Médard, IEEE Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Médard is recognized for breakthroughs in network coding and information theory, which have enhanced the reliability of data transmission in streaming video, wireless networks, and satellite communications.

IEEE MEDICAL INNOVATION PRIZE, sponsored by IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) – Rosalind W. Picard, IEEE Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Picard founded the field of affective computing and developed wearable technologies for emotion and health monitoring, enabling tools for mental healthcare, stress detection, and personalized health insights.

IEEE NICK HOLONYAK, JR. AWARD FOR SEMICONDUCTOR OPTOELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGIES, sponsored by friends of Nick Holonyak, Jr. – Steven P. DenBaars, IEEE Fellow, University of California, Santa Barbara. DenBaars is honored for pioneering research in gallium nitride semiconductors and LED technologies, enabling bright, energy-efficient lighting used in homes, smartphones, car headlights, and large displays.

IEEE JACK S. KILBY MEDAL, sponsored by Apple – Biing-Hwang "Fred" Juang, IEEE Life Fellow, Georgia Institute of Technology. Juang is recognized for fundamental contributions to speech coding and recognition that made voice-driven technologies possible in smartphones, customer service systems, and virtual assistants.

IEEE/RSE JAMES CLERK MAXWELL MEDAL, sponsored by ARM – Paul B. Corkum, University of Ottawa. Corkum is honored for pioneering research in attosecond physics, opening new frontiers in ultrafast science and enabling observation of chemical reactions and electron dynamics at unprecedented speeds.

IEEE JAMES H. MULLIGAN, JR. AWARD FOR EDUCATION, sponsored by the IEEE Life Members Fund and MathWorks – James H. McClellan, IEEE Life Fellow, école Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). McClellan is recognized for decades of leadership in digital signal processing theory, with applications in audio processing, medical ultrasound, and radar systems.

IEEE JUN-ICHI NISHIZAWA MEDAL, sponsored by the IEEE Jun-ichi Nishizawa Medal Fund – Eric R. Fossum, IEEE Life Fellow, Dartmouth College. Fossum, inventor of the CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) image sensor, revolutionized digital photography and video, shaping modern visual communication.

IEEE ROBERT N. NOYCE MEDAL, sponsored by Intel – Chris Malachowsky, NVIDIA. Malachowsky, a co-founder of NVIDIA, is honored for driving GPU (graphics processing unit) innovation that has accelerated advancements in artificial intelligence, gaming, and high-performance computing worldwide.

IEEE DENNIS J. PICARD MEDAL FOR RADAR TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS, sponsored by RTX – Yoshio Yamaguchi, IEEE Life Fellow, Niigata University. Yamaguchi is recognized for pioneering radar polarimetry and remote sensing technologies that support global climate monitoring and disaster response.

IEEE POWER ENGINEERING MEDAL, sponsored by IEEE Industry Applications, Industrial Electronics, Power Electronics, and Power & Energy Societies – Fang Zheng Peng (彭方正), IEEE Fellow, University of Pittsburgh. Peng is honored for innovations in power conversion technology, particularly the invention of the quasi-Z-source inverter, enabling more efficient, stable, and reliable use of renewable energy.

IEEE SIMON RAMO MEDAL, sponsored by Northrop Grumman – Michael Douglas Griffin, IEEE Fellow, LogiQ Inc. Griffin, former NASA Administrator, is recognized for shaping U.S. space exploration strategy and advancing aerospace engineering, including programs that laid the foundation for current human spaceflight and deep-space missions.

IEEE JOHN VON NEUMANN MEDAL, sponsored by IBM – Donald D. Chamberlin, IEEE Fellow, IBM. Chamberlin's achievements underpin nearly every enterprise, financial, healthcare, and government data system worldwide.

The recipients will be honored at the annual IEEE Honors Ceremony on April 24, 2026, in New York City. The 2026 IEEE Medal of Honor recipient will be announced in January 2026. Stay tuned for further details. For the complete list of 2026 recipients, visit the IEEE Awards website.

About IEEE Awards
For over a century, the IEEE Awards program has been the premier peer-recognition program globally, honoring exceptional leaders who have made significant contributions to engineering, science, and technological advancement. Through this program, IEEE celebrates transformative innovations and societal impact achieved by its global community of experts across fields ranging from computing and telecommunications to energy, aerospace, materials science, and healthcare.

About IEEE
IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization and a public charitable organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity. Through highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and educational initiatives, IEEE is trusted in numerous fields including aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications, biomedical engineering, power, and consumer electronics. For more information, visit https://www.ieee