Former IEEE President K.J. Ray Liu Receives Haraden Pratt Award for Leadership

Award Recognition

K.J. Ray Liu, who served as the IEEE President in 2022, was presented with the Haraden Pratt Award. This honor was bestowed upon him for his "transformative and impactful leadership" during a ceremony held on April 24 in New York City. The IEEE Foundation sponsored this Board-level award.

Contributions to IEEE

Liu is recognized for two key initiatives during his tenure. He increased the diversity of nominees for the IEEE Fellow program, which represents the highest level of membership within the organization. Additionally, he led efforts to geographically realign the organization's regions, aiming to ensure more equitable global representation on the IEEE Board of Directors.

Professional Background

Before his IEEE presidency, Liu had a career as an educator and entrepreneur. He was a professor of information technology and a digital signal processing researcher at the University of Maryland in College Park for 31 years, retiring in 2021. He also founded Origin Wireless, a startup specializing in AI for wireless sensing and indoor tracking, which was acquired by ADT in February.

Early Career Path

Liu's entry into electrical engineering was influenced by a government initiative in 1970s Taiwan to boost semiconductor manufacturing. Despite the initial lack of jobs in the semiconductor industry upon his graduation in 1983, he transitioned into a successful career in academia and entrepreneurship in the United States.