October 17, 2022—The Marconi Society today recognized two outstanding young researchers who are creating better performing networks to serve both business and social needs. The Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholar Award recognizes the world’s most innovative young engineers who are creating tomorrow’s information and communications technology in service of a digitally inclusive world.
“The network continues to be a great social equalizer and economic driver. Advancements that make networks operate together more efficiently and cost effectively will be critical to ensuring that everyone has access to the opportunities of our connected world,” said Vint Cerf, Chair of the Marconi Society. “Our Paul Baran Young Scholars represent the future of information and communications technology and we are honored to welcome Gregory and Rui to the Marconi Society family.”
The Marconi Society’s 2022 Paul Baran Young Scholars are Gregory Tanyi and Rui Zhang.
Gregory Tanyi is completing his PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Melbourne. He is recognized for his innovations in an on-chip receiver platform that enables direct conversion of wireless signals to optical signals. Tanyi’s breakthrough uses silicon photonics to create an energy efficient and low cost chip-based solution to interfaces at very high frequencies without any additional electronics.
Early uses of Tanyi’s innovations include smart cars, which need sensor data to be processed in the optical domain, requiring the merger of communication and sensor functions to minimize processing time delay. His work also supports aerospace applications, which need on-chip solutions to reduce size, weight and power consumption of payloads, and next generation wireless communications which must access millimeter wave frequencies and have full convergence between the optical fiber and wireless segments.
A native of Cameroon, Tanyi’s passion for networking is driven by his belief that a better infrastructure and faster Internet is a game changer for social equity. “The Internet has the power to change cultures by letting people solve their own problems,” says Tanyi. “I am honored to be a Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholar to contribute to these positive changes.”
Rui Zhang, who recently graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology with a Ph.D. degree, is currently a Staff Engineer at MediaTek USA. She is recognized for her innovations of communication systems and ultra-capacity networking techniques to address flexibility, efficiency, and reliability issues. She has been working on these research challenges since 2017 in the NSF-sponsored Center of Fiber-Wireless Integration and Networking (FiWIN) at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Georgia Tech.
Zhang’s research areas include the design and performance of data center communications, long-haul optical fiber transmission, 6G and beyond radio access networks, and fixed access using fiber wireless integration technologies. Her research will facilitate and support massively connected IoT devices, emerging machine learning applications and ubiquitous computing in a cost-effective and reliable way.
Zhang’s research focuses on solving complex industry challenges that impact future network products and new service offerings. She is excited to explore the frontier of integrating optical transport systems and heterogeneous high-frequency wireless technologies to enable high-capacity operations. “It is my great honor to receive this award,” Zhang states. “I look forward to being part of the Marconi Society and to working with other Young Scholars to contribute to communications research that makes the world a better-connected community for all the people.”
The Marconi Society will celebrate Tanyi and Zhang, as well as wireless innovator and 2022 Marconi Fellow, Siavash Alamouti, during its annual Gala on November 3 at the University of California at Berkeley. Tickets for the Gala, as well as the accompanying complimentary, virtual Symposium, The Decade of Digital Inclusion, are available here.
About the Marconi Society
The Marconi Society envisions a world in which everyone can create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity. The organization celebrates, inspires, and connects individuals building tomorrow’s technologies in service of a digitally inclusive world.
About the Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholar Award
The Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholar Award honors the world’s most innovative young engineers in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Presented to researchers who are 27 years old or younger to commemorate Guglielmo Marconi’s age when he made his first successful wireless transmission, this award recognizes scientists and engineers who have shown extraordinary technical acumen, creativity and promise for using ICT in service of digital inclusion.
