Robert Calderbank (Princeton)

Robert Calderbank received the BSc degree in 1975 from Warwick University, England, the MSc degree in 1976 from Oxford University, England, and the PhD degree in 1980 from the California Institute of Technology, all in mathematics.

He joined Bell Telephone Laboratories as a Member of Technical Staff in 1980, and retired from AT&T in 2003 as Vice President of Research. As a Bell Labs Department Head, Dr. Calderbank invented and supported the adoption of research innovations in a progression of voice band modem standards that moved communications practice close to the fundamental Shannon limit. He also launched the Bell Labs research program in signal processing and error correction for advanced read channels. As Information Sciences VP and then VP Research, he created a unique research program in data mining at extraordinary scale by developing and operating systems that captured the interaction of customers, networks and service. Dr. Calderbank coordinated all long lead research activities across AT&T Labs, and led breakthrough research in quantum computing and space time codes for wireless communication. He also managed AT&T intellectual property and had line responsibility for licensing revenue. Dr. Calderbank is now Professor of Mathematics and Electrical Engineering at Princeton University, and the Director of the Program for Applied and Computational Mathematics. His research interests range from algebraic coding theory and quantum computing to the design of wireless systems.

Dr. Calderbank served as Editor in Chief of the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INFORMATION THEORY from 1995 to 1998, and as Associate Editor for Coding Techniques from 1986 to 1989. He was a member of the Board of Governors of the IEEE Information Theory Society from 1991 to 1996. Dr. Calderbank was honored by the IEEE Information Theory Prize Paper Award in 1995 for his work on the Z4 linearity of Kerdock and Preparata Codes (joint with A.R. Hammons Jr., P.V. Kumar, N.J.A. Sloane, and P. Sole), and again in 1999 for the invention of space-time codes (joint with V.Tarokh and N. Seshadri). He is a recipient of the IEEE Millennium Medal, and was honored by AT&T's highest technical award in 2000 when he was appointed an AT&T Fellow. Dr. Calderbank has served on the Fellow Evaluation Committee for the IEEE Communications Society since 2001, and is now the Committee Chair. He also serves on the Awards Committee for the IEEE Communications Society. Dr. Calderbank served as session organizer for the German-American Frontiers of Engineering in 1998 (Wireless Communication) and in 1999 (Information Technology). He was a member of the Committee of Visitors, NSF Division of Mathematical Sciences in 2001 and served on Working Groups to set National Research Priorities in Wireless and Mobile Communications (1997) and Coding and Cryptology (1997). Dr. Calderbank chairs the Selection Committee, Invited Speakers at NE Regional Meetings for the American Mathematical Society. He was a member of the AMS Centennial Fellowship Committee (1995-1998) and served as Committee Chair (1996-1998). He organized an AMS Short Course on Coding Theory in San Francisco (1995). Within AT&T Dr. Calderbank served on the Selection Committees for AT&T Fellows (2002-2003) and the Graduate Research Fellowship Program for Women (1992-1995).