Associate Dean Receives Highest Honor From Professional Society

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Associate Dean Bill Brown

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Bill Brown, associate dean for research in the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas, has been named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He was honored specifically for his leadership in furthering education in the area of high-density electronics and for advancing the technologies relating to nonvolatile memories, photovoltaics and microelectronics packaging.

“Packaging” refers to the ongoing process of making electronic components smaller, more powerful and less expensive. This research has resulted in technological advances resulting in now-ubiquitous necessities such as cell phones and laptop computers. 

“Being elected fellow of the IEEE is like receiving the Oscar for performance in Electrical Engineering,” said Brown. “It is particularly special because the honor is bestowed by one’s professional peers.”

The fellow award is reserved for members with an extraordinary record of accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest. A member since 1967, Brown started his career at Sandia National Laboratories. He helped establish the first microelectronics fabrication facility, which was used to develop the preferred technology for use in harsh environments, such as space missions. His initial work in the area of nonvolatile semiconductor memory provided the basis for memory chips used in many space and weapon applications. Brown’s most lasting impact may have been establishing the High Density Electronics Center at the University of Arkansas, an internationally recognized packaging research center that is the only working laboratory of its kind located on a university campus in the United States.