Nezih Pala is a Professor at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of Florida International University. He received his MS and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA, in 1999 and 2002, respectively. He obtained a B.S. in Physics at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. His Research interests include the design, fabrication, and characterization of nanoscale electronic and photonic devices and systems for sensing, imaging, communication, and energy harvesting. He has authored/co-authored more than 300 articles, published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and conferences, and 13 US patents. He is a senior member of the IEEE. He received the FIU Faculty Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activities, FIU CEC Outstanding Faculty Research Award, Kauffman Professor Award and NSF CAREER Award.
Michael Shur received an MSEE degree (with honors) from St. Petersburg Electrotechnical Institute and PhD and Dr. Sc. degrees from the A. F. Ioffe Institute. He is Patricia and Sheldon Roberts Professor of Solid State Electronics and Professor of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and co-founder, Vice President, and CTO of Electronics of the Future, Inc. He was also a co-founder of Sensor Electronics Technology, Inc. He is a Life Fellow of IEEE, APS, ECS, and SPIE, and a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, OSA, IET, MRS, WIF, and AAAS. He is a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE EDS Society. His awards include St. Petersburg Technical University and the University of Vilnius Honorary Doctorates, IEEE EDS Ebers Award, William H. Wiley 1866 Distinguished Faculty Award, Rensselaer Outstanding Professor Award, IET Achievement Medal, ECS Electronic and Photonics Award, Jefferson Science Fellowship, Recognition Award from iNEER, Tibbetts Award for Technology Commercialization, IEEE Sensors Council Technical Achievement Award, IEEE Donald Fink Best Paper Award, IEEE Kirchmayer Award, the Gold Medal of the Russian Education Ministry, van der Ziel Award, Senior Humboldt Award, Pioneer Award, RPI Engineering Research Award, Wiley Award, RPI Outstanding Faculty Award, and several Best Paper Awards. His h-index is 111. The Lithuanian Academy of Sciences elected him its Foreign Member.
