Date: 2008-10-09
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Andrew J. Viterbi, a USC trustee and the namesake of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering where he holds the USC Presidential Chair, received the National Medal of Science from President George W. Bush in the White House Sept. 29. At the East Room ceremony, Bush praised Viterbi and 15 other medalists in science, innovation and technology as “a new generation of people who have strived for excellence, people whose discoveries have changed America and the world.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Andrew J. Viterbi, a USC trustee and the namesake of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering where he holds the USC Presidential Chair, received the National Medal of Science from President George W. Bush in the White House Sept. 29.
At the East Room ceremony, Bush praised Viterbi and 15 other medalists in science, innovation and technology as “a new generation of people who have strived for excellence, people whose discoveries have changed America and the world.
“The men and women we honor here hold more than 100 patents. They are the leaders in business and industry. They publish influential books. They chair academic departments in some of our country’s finest universities,” Bush said.
Viterbi’s citation praised his development “of the maximum-likelihood algorithm for convolutional coding, known as the ‘Viterbi algorithm,’ and for his contributions to Code Division Multiple Access wireless technology that transformed the theory and practice of digital communications.”
The ceremony was preceded the night before by a black tie event held at the Ritz Carlton in Washington, D.C.
The USC Viterbi School sponsored a table at the event. In attendance with Viterbi and his family were: Dean Yannis C. Yortsos; William Rees, deputy under-secretary of defense for laboratories and basic sciences; Brendan Godfrey, director of the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research; Ray Yin, an associate of Ming Hsieh, benefactor of the USC Viterbi School Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering; William Wiesmann, a member of the USC Viterbi School board of councilors, and his wife Sandy; Steven O. Moldin, executive director of the USC Office of Research Advancement; Roderic Pettigrew, director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering; Jennifer Grodsky, executive director of federal relations for USC in Washington, D.C.; and Adam Clayton Powell III, USC vice provost for globalization.
The National Medal of Science is the country’s highest honor for scientific achievement in a range of fields, including physical, biological, mathematical, social, behavioral and engineering sciences. The award is given to individuals whose discoveries and contributions “enhance our understanding of the world and leads to innovations and technologies that give the United States its global economic edge.”
Viterbi has received honorary doctorates from universities in the United States, Canada, Italy and Israel. He is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a Marconi fellow and a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
“It’s thrilling to know that one of the intellectual giants of our time is also one of USC’s most faithful alumni and wisest trustees,” said USC President Steven B. Sample on the day Viterbi’s award was announced. “Few people in any field can say that they have truly enhanced the world in which we live. Andrew Viterbi is one of the few, one of the elite, whose intellect and imagination have helped advance human understanding. This is a tremendous honor for Andy and a well-deserved recognition of his historic accomplishments.”
For a transcript of the proceedingsat the White House, including a Webcast of the ceremony, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/09/20080929-4.html