A leading authority in the area of sensor technology and its application to bioelectrical systems, automated semiconductor manufacturing, and micro-elector-mechanical systems, Kensall D. Wise has been a pioneer in the field of solid-state sensors and integrated microsystems. He launched and has made significant contributions to this new, rapidly growing field of research and science from which the University, the country, and the world have benefited. His work is characterized by a delightful combination of process innovation, careful analysis, attention to interface circuitry—all with a clear vision of end use.
Because of the interdisciplinary nature of his work, Professor Wise also is a leader and pioneer in many fields that have benefited from solid-state sensor and system technologies. He has worked on the application of solid-state integrated sensing systems to semiconductor manufacturing, to biomedical devices and systems, to implantable prostheses, to automotive instrumentation and control, to environmental monitoring, and to automated industrial processing. He was instrumental in launching the first international conference in solid-state sensors and actuators, and has chaired numerous conferences dealing with solid-state sensors and circuits.
An outstanding teacher in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Professor Wise was instrumental in the early introduction and development of courses in analog and digital integrated circuits, in integrated circuit design and fabrication, and in solid-state integrated sensing systems. His courses are always challenging, informative, and up-to-date in this ever-changing field.
Professor Wise has received some of the highest student evaluations in his department. Numerous outstanding publications by him and his students are a clear indicator of the quality of his research achievements and also are evidence of his devotion to education and scholarship. The work of Professor Wise and his talented students is first-rate, innovative, and well thought out, and always brings credit to the University. Since joining the faculty in 1974, he has supervised more than 25 doctoral students, many of whom hold leadership positions in academe, national research laboratories, and in industry.
In addition to being elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Professor Wise has been honored with a named professorship; he is the J. Reid and Polly Anderson Professor of Manufacturing Technology. He also has received the most prestigious awards given by the College of Engineering, including the Stephen S. Attwood Award and the Research Excellence Award.
In recognition of his many technical contributions in the field of sensor technology, his teaching and mentoring effectiveness, and his intellectual leadership, the University proudly grants to Kensall Wise its Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award.
