"The Process of Making Breakthroughs in Engineering" will be the topic of a special seminar April 29, presented by Thomas Kailath, Hitachi America Professor

The seminar will be held from 4:00-5:00 p.m. in Shambaugh Auditorium, Main Library, on the UI campus.  It is sponsored by the UI Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and the IEEE Student Branch at the University of Iowa.

Kailath's research has ranged over several fields of engineering and mathematics, including information theory, communications, linear systems, estimation and control, signal processing, semiconductor manufacturing, probability and statistics, matrix and operator theory. He has mentored a stellar array of over a hundred doctoral and postdoctoral scholars. Their joint efforts have led to over 300 journal papers, a dozen patents, several high-technology companies and a number of books and monographs, including the major textbooks: Linear Systems (1980) and Linear Estimation (2000).

He has received many honors over the years, most recently the US National Medal of Science for “transformative contributions to systems science, distinctive and sustained mentoring of young scholars, and for translation of scientific ideas into entrepreneurial ventures that have had a significant impact on industry.”