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McEliece Receives Alexander Graham Bell Medal
June 25, 2009
 On June 25 the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) awarded Caltech's Robert J. McEliece the prestigious Alexander Graham Bell Medal for his seminal contributions in the fields of information theory and coding. McEliece, the Allen E. Puckett Professor and Professor of Electrical Engineering, Emeritus, was one of the first researchers to study convolutional codes, which became a staple of channel coding for deep-space communications systems, including NASA's Galileo mission to Jupiter.
McEliece studied at Caltech as both an undergrad and graduate student, earning a bachelor's degree in 1964 and PhD in 1967. He became a professor at the Institute in 1982. "I'm delighted, shocked and thrilled to have my name associated with Alexander Graham Bell," he said. "I never knew much about his life, but this is a real thrill. I wish my mom and dad were alive—they would understand."
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