Authority on Analog to Hold TI Distinguished Chair
David Allstot to Bolster Engineering School’s Strengths in Key Strategic Area
March 13, 2008
A leading expert in the field of analog electronics has been named the first holder of the Texas Instruments Distinguished Chair in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Texas at Dallas.
Analog technology is a core competency that the engineering school is committed to further bolstering, according to UT Dallas President Dr. David E. Daniel.
“With the shortage of analog engineers and scientists, we are indeed fortunate to have recruited one of the best researchers and teachers in the field,” he said.
David Allstot will be the seventh new faculty member to join the Jonsson School’s electrical engineering department in the last two years.
“Dave’s research focuses on analog/mixed-signal design, and he’ll play a key role in helping foster greater interdisciplinary collaboration between electrical engineering and other departments at UTD as well as with Texas Instruments and other local companies,” said John Hansen, head of electrical engineering at the Jonsson School.
Allstot was previously a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Washington, where he held the Boeing-Egdvedt Chair, directed the System-On-Chip Lab and helped build a highly regarded group in what’s known as analog/radio-frequency design, a key component of wireless semiconductor technology.
“Leaving the University of Washington is a difficult decision, but the opportunities at UTD are far too exciting to pass up,” he said. “I’m especially honored to hold the endowed Texas Instruments chair because it’s emblematic of the close working relationship that we expect to expand with TI and many other leading high-technology companies and government agencies involved in analog/mixed-signal/RF semiconductor research around the world. I am very much looking forward to building a world-class center of circuits and systems research at UTD.”
Although digital technology tends to dominate high-tech news, analog technology is the workhorse responsible for translating real-world information such as sound waves into digital form (for processing, storage or transmission) and then back into sound waves. Texas Instruments President and CEO Rich Templeton regularly refers to the analog paradox: Rather than displacing analog, digital requires even greater use of it.
“Analog technology is increasingly important, fueling innovations that make electronics more energy-efficient, make health care more accessible, make cars safer, and give cell phones clearer audio quality and longer battery life,” said Art George, TI senior vice president and general manager of its High Performance Analog business unit. “We look forward to the coming contributions that this chair will make to UT Dallas, the industry and the community in providing critical research and increasing the knowledge base in North Texas.”
Allstot holds his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, his master’s from Oregon State University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Portland. Although he shifted from industry to academia more than 25 years ago, he’s maintained his relationship with industry ever since by consulting with more than a dozen companies, including Advanced Micro Devices, Hewlett-Packard, Honeywell, Hughes Aircraft, IBM, Intel, Magnavox and Xerox.
Also active in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, he is an IEEE fellow and president-elect of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society.
In addition he was the 2005 recipient of the Semiconductor Research Corporation’s Aristotle Award, which each year recognizes a university researcher’s commitment to the education of students destined to work in the semiconductor industry. One former student, now the CEO of a company, said in his letter nominating Allstot for the award, “I would not be where I am today without his continuous advice and support.”
About the Jonsson School
With more than 2,600 students, nearly 100 faculty and over $27 million in research funding, the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at UT Dallas is in the midst of a $300 million public-private initiative that includes the recent completion of a 192,000-square-foot interdisciplinary research building. Named after Texas Instruments co-founder J. Erik Jonsson, the school awards degrees in electrical engineering, computer science, telecommunications engineering, computer engineering, software engineering, and materials science and engineering.
Media contacts: David Moore, UT Dallas, (972) 883-4183, david.moore1@utdallas.edu
or
Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2155, newscenter@utdallas.edu
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May 12, 2008
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