U. honors Nobel prize winner

The inventor of the microchip, Nobel Prize winner Jack St. Clair Kilby, was presented with the School of Engineering and Applied Science's most prestigious honor at a ceremony last night. Kilby, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics last year for his role in the 1958 invention of the integrated circuit -- known commonly as the microchip -- holds patents for nearly 60 inventions, including the pocket calculator. The Pender Award is named for Harold Pender, the first dean of the Moore School of Electrical Engineering, and the recipient is chosen every year by the faculty of the Moore School based on his or her contribution to society. Engineering Dean Eduardo Glandt and Provost Robert Barchi presented Kilby with a large plaque in honor of his achievements at an invitation-only dinner last night. Kilby stood with his arms folded behind his back and his head bent, and, when asked if he wanted to say a few words, responded "No." But Kilby, like everyone else, recognized the far-reaching effects of the invention on modern technological devices. "Things like that have become just an integral part of our life," Kilby said. "They're woven in our daily lives in hundreds of thousands of places." Prior to the award ceremony, Kilby delivered a lecture to about 200 students and professors in Heilmeier Hall on "The Invention of the Integrated Circuit." Engineering students who attended the lecture said they were inspired by the presence of someone they considered a pillar of modern technology. "I thought it was a very interesting lecture by just an amazing person. His ideas were the basis for generations of technology," said Engineering senior and President of Penn's branch of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Yael Levi, one of only two students invited to attend the award dinner. "Mostly it was amazing to see somebody who had done that, who had that history," Levi added. Computer and Information Science professor Peter Buneman, chairman of the committee that selected Kilby for the award, said that he was a natural choice for this honor. In the past, according to Buneman, the Pender Award had been given to Robert Noyce, whose version of the integrated circuit came after Kilby's, but ultimately proved to be more successful. Electrical Engineering Professor Nabil Farhat, another member of the selection committee, also found Kilby to be the deserving recipient of the reward. "He is a very unusual person," Farhat said. "The Nobel committee always looks for people like that, whose work has left a very lasting impact on society for the better." "When you think about the way our lives are affected by the invention of the integrated circuit, it's very impressive," Farhat added. "Every PC, every laptop, every handheld device that we use today is a result of this invention." Regarded as one of the most important inventions of the 20th century, the integrated circuit has made much of modern technology possible. Musical neckties and cell phones, for example, are two modern devices Kilby said he never imagined would result from his invention. Kilby has received the National Medal of Science -- the highest science award in the United States -- and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1982. He remains modest about his achievements despite decades of accolades. Known as the "humble giant" at Texas Instruments, where most of his inventions took place, Kilby said he never expected to receive the Nobel Prize for his work. "I was amazed," he said. "I had long since convinced myself that Nobel Prizes were not for work like mine."