2023 IET Faraday Medal winner
Prestige Medal winner
Faraday Medal
Professor Arogyaswami Joseph Paulraj
Professor Paulraj is awarded the 100th IET Faraday Medal for the invention, advancement, and commercialisation of MIMO (Multiple-antenna Input, Multiple-antenna Output) wireless technology. MIMO wireless technology has made much of today’s pervasive 4G/5G mobile and WiFi networks possible. MIMO revolutionised mobile and WiFi wireless networks, greatly enhancing network economics and user experience.
Professor Paulraj’s contributions in India between 1965 and 1991 included the development of ASW sonar systems and high-performance computers and the founding of three national laboratories spanning AI, Computing, and Military Electronics. He has also authored and co-authored over 400 research papers, and is a co-inventor in 80 US patents.
IET Achievement Medal winners
Professor James Collins
Professor James Collins is the winner of an IET Achievement Medal in Synthetic Biology. Professor Collins’ pioneering work on synthetic gene circuits and programmable cells helped to establish the field of synthetic biology, enabling engineers to program biological systems with novel functions for a variety of applications. He is the Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering & Science and Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT, as well as a Member of the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences & Technology Faculty.
Professor David Cumming FRSE FREng FIET FIEEE
Professor David Cumming FRSE FREng FIET FIEEE is the winner of an IET Achievement Medal in Electronics. Professor Cumming is an internationally recognised leader in semiconductor sensors and microsystems. He is widely recognised for his work on CMOS biochemical sensor technologies. He is a Professor of Microsystems Technology and Electronic Systems and Director of the EPSRC UK Quantum Technology Hub in Quantum Imaging at the University of Glasgow.
Professor Mark Lythgoe PhD
Professor Mark Lythgoe PhD is the winner of an IET Achievement Medal in Medical Imaging. Professor Lythgoe is the founder and Director of the UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, one of the world’s leading preclinical imaging centres. His pioneering work in developing cutting-edge imaging technologies is advancing the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. He has also been the Chair of the Cheltenham Science festival since 2016.
Finalists
Professor Toby Breckon CEng FIET is a finalist for an IET Achievement Medal in Signal and Image Processing. Breckon’s research has directly informed UK/US government policy for aviation and border security screening and provided new enhanced software capabilities for X-ray airport security scanners. He is a Professor in the Department of Engineering and Department of Computer Science at Durham University.
Professor Pola Goldberg Oppenheimer BSc(Hons) BEng(Hons) MSc(Hons) PhD FIET FRSC is a finalist for an IET Achievement Medal in Biomedical Engineering. She pioneered Electrohydrodynamic Lithography, which has unlocked the potential of sub-capillary nano-engineering for practical devices. She is a Professor in Micro-Engineering and Bio-Nanotechnology and a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow at the School of Chemical Engineering and the Healthcare Technologies Institute.
Professor Marek Ogiela FIET FSPIE is a finalist for an IET Achievement Medal in Image Processing. He introduced Cognitive Information Systems dedicated to analysing visual patterns and supporting medical diagnosis. He defined a new branch of modern cryptography called Cognitive Cryptography. He is a Professor of Computer Science, cognitive scientist, and cryptographer at AGH University of Science and Technology and Head of the Cryptography and Cognitive Informatics Laboratory in Krakow, Poland.
IET Achievement Medal for Volunteering winner
Ir Professor Dr Wai Yie Leong CEng FIET
Ir Professor Dr Wai Yie Leong CEng FIET is the winner of the IET Volunteer Medal for her exceptional contribution to promoting the IET's value and mission worldwide. She is passionate about promoting Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion within engineering. Professor Leong is the Chair of the IET Malaysia Network and the Chair of IET Industry 4.0 Technical Network, Vice President of the Institution of Engineers Malaysia, and Women in Engineering Committee of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations. She has spoken at UNESCO meetings and the International Forum of NGOs. Leong advises and contributes ideas to the Malaysia Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation.
Finalist
Dr Chiew-Foong Kwong CEng MIET SFHEA is a finalist for the IET Volunteer Medal for his exceptional dedication to volunteering at the IET since 2007. As the Chair of the Young Professional (YP) Section of the IET Malaysia Network he successfully established six University On Campus Groups in Malaysian universities, which continue to thrive. He is also an International Professional Registration Advisor and a Professional Registration Interviewer. In 2018, he became a member of the IET Academic Accreditation Committee and has served in the IET Registration and Standards Committee.
Early Career Professional Medal winners
Sir Henry Royce Award
Mike Sargeant Award
Paul Fletcher Award
Arnold Nyendwa
Arnold Nyendwa is the winner of the Sir Henry Royce Medal for his work as an entrepreneur and inventor who pioneered the first stainless steel stove in Africa. Since 2021, his company AFNON has distributed more than 8,000 clean cookstoves in Zambia and exported to DRC Congo and Malawi to help mitigate climate change and deforestation, adding value to clean cooking.
Daniel Vong Wei Liang BEng(Hons) BSc IEng MIET
Daniel Vong Wei Liang BEng(Hons) BSc IEng MIET is the winner of the Mike Sargeant Career Achievement Award for his innovation of the smart cane for the blind. The BAWA Cane turns all canes into a smart device by uses sensors to detect obstacles up to 5 meters away and provides audio and haptic feedback to alert the user of their presence and distance.
Jeremy Lai
Jeremy Lai is the winner of the Paul Fletcher Award for his dedication to the IET. Jeremy is the Chairperson of his Local Network (LN), and a leader amongst the Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) Young Professionals. He has contributed to the improvement of the volunteer experience in the Asia-Pacific region. He has successfully revived his inactive LN and combined the Young Professionals and the LN in South Australia into one committee to deliver quality events and successfully recruit new volunteers.
Finalists
Praneet Dutta MIET is a finalist for the Sir Henry Royce Medal. Praneet is one of DeepMind's youngest senior engineering leads, with his recent breakthroughs being featured in international publications, including Analytics India, Wired, and New Scientist. His focus is on climate and sustainability, with a particular emphasis on reducing industrial energy consumption.
Dr Edris Joonaki BSc PhD is a finalist for the Sir Henry Royce Medal for his work developing a novel thermodynamic platform to manage models for the UK National Engineering Laboratory's £20 million Advanced Multiphase Facility. This has positioned Scotland as a world leader in multiphase flow measurement while providing the UK with a worldwide unique capability in the energy sector
Finalists
Amey Porobo Dharwadker is a finalist for the Mike Sargeant Career Achievement Award for his development of large-scale recommender systems across organisations at Facebook, which significantly improved experiences for billions of users on the platform. He is a Machine Learning Technical Leader for the Facebook Video Recommendations Core Ranking team.
Titilola Oliyide CEng MIET is a finalist for the Mike Sargeant Career Achievement Award for her excellent contributions in safety and reliability engineering on transport and energy projects, and her efforts in promoting the engineering profession in her spare time. Between 2019 and 2022 she worked on the safety and reliability engineering of the signalling scope of the high-profile £18billion Crossrail/Elizabeth Line project.
Ir Dr Yi Lung Then CEng MIET SMIEE is a finalist for the Mike Sargeant Career Achievement Award for his significant contributions to renewable energy design and humanitarian projects. He led the IEEE Alternative Lighting Project Phase 2, which provided free electricity to a rural school in Sarawak, Malaysia, by converting kinetic energy from movement to electricity.
Finalists
Samuel Duffield MEng(Hons) CEng MIET is a finalist for the Paul Fletcher Award for his passion and interest in showcasing the IET to students. As a Young Professionals (YP) volunteer at university, he set up and chaired the Plymouth On Campus group. He also travelled the region, visiting other universities and helping to set up new On Campus groups. He is part of the YP Committee at the IET and is already a project leader, looking at the development of On Campus across the world, putting his knowledge and experience to the best use.
Sanjeewika Rathnayake BSc(Hons) MIET is a finalist for the Paul Fletcher Award for her contribution to the IET in Sri Lanka. She started as a volunteer for her Local Network (LN) in 2017 whilst at university and went on to become assistant secretary, then secretary, for the On Campus group there. She also volunteered at the Present Around the World South Asia conference, the Young Professionals conference, and the Nurturing Intelligence for Curious Engineers event. She went on to join the Sri Lanka LN Young Professionals and currently serves as the Vice Chair.
Chris Winder EngTech TMIET is a finalist for the Paul Fletcher Award for his dedication to the IET. He is currently the Chair of the IET's Volunteer Support Working Party and is leading a group of diverse volunteers towards strategic goals for the wider business. Chris is passionate about apprentices and technicians and was instrumental in the development of new marketing material aimed at Apprentice members. He has also participated in numerous focus groups and interviews about this specific audience and has helped to make the IET a more relevant place for them.
