Prof Hoefer
The citation: "For pioneering contributions to time domain computational methods in microwave engineering, in particular the transmission line matrix (TLM) method." The Award will be presented at the IEEE MTT-International Microwave Symposium Awards Banquet, to be held in Baltimore this June.
Prof Hoefer said:” Receiving this award is particularly meaningful to me. The members of the MTT Society are the most highly qualified peers to assess my contributions. Therefore, this award is not just a nice accolade, but a credible and substantial recognition. I feel very honored and gratified indeed.”
The MTT Society presents annual awards to outstanding members of the microwave community for contributions made to the field of microwave technology and engineering. Details about the MTT Society Awards can be found at www.mtt.org/awards (see hyperlink below). It should be noted that the organisation did not give out the Microwave Pioneer Award last year.
Research
Prof Hoefer’s research in microwave engineering and computational electromagnetics has helped to shape the technologies and design tools for analogue microwave and high-speed digital communication systems.
At IHPC, Prof Hoefer is conducting research on metamaterial modelling with emphasis on super-resolution imaging and electromagnetic cloaking.
He said: “While the direction of my research will not change, my belief in the importance of quality in research will be stronger than ever. My research at IHPC remains a continuing journey, but this award is a milestone suggesting that, perhaps, I have travelled in the right direction.”
He is also, concurrently, the Director of the Independent Investigatorship (I³) Department in IHPC, and also an advisor to the Electronics and Photonics (EP) Department.
To Prof Hoefer, quality in research requires not only skills, dedication and hard work, but more importantly, in-depth understanding and broad integration of concepts, knowledge and experience – the hallmarks of personal growth for a researcher, in other words.
He added: “This growth should transcend the realm of science and engineering. I strongly concur with the statement by the leading Japanese android scientist Hiroshi Ishiguro, that the capacity to innovate requires an artistic spirit: ‘Art will be technology by giving methodology to the art. That is, engineering and technology are a part of art.’"
Prof Hoefer is modest about his latest award, which joins his long list of wards and citations in marking his contributions to his field. Instead, he prefers to pay tribute to all who have helped him.
“In the big picture of human achievement, my modest contribution is barely a tiny pixel, but on a personal level, the recognition by my peers validates not only my own professional legacy, but also the precious contributions of my colleagues, former students and research associates. I gladly share this award with them.”
More about Prof Hoefer
Prof Hoefer is an IEEE Life Fellow (F’91, LF’06), and a Fellow of the BC Advanced System Institute (1992), Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2003), Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (2009), Fellow of the German Academy of Science and Engineering (ACATECH, 2007), and Fellow of the Electromagnetics Academy (MIT, 1992).
He advanced the CAD of planar and E-Plane circuits, pioneered the application of Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD), Transmission Line Matrix (TLM) and Multiresolution Time Domain (MRTD) methods in microwave circuit design, and spearheaded the development of modern time-domain TLM electromagnetic field simulators.
In addition, his modelling technology forms the basis of the EM Simulator MEFiSTo, that was commercialised by Faustus Scientific Corporation.
