Thomas Silliman awarded IEEE broadcast engineering award


Details

Gabriel Miramar-Garcia

| 15 November 2015





Thomas Silliman, president of Electronics Research (ERI), has been named the first-ever recipient of the Jules Cohen Award for Outstanding Broadcast Engineering by the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society.


"The Jules Cohen Award is the highest recognition the IEEE BTS can bestow upon a member, and it's a hallmark of achievement in broadcast engineering. Tom is well-deserving of this honour, not only as one of the industry's leading experts in broadcast antennas, towers, and filters for radio and television, but also as an IEEE Fellow and a member of IEEE BTS for more than 44 years," said William T. Hayes, director of engineering and technology, Iowa Public Television, and president of the IEEE BTS.

"We also extend heartfelt congratulations to David, whose paper was deemed superior in a very tough field based on its overall technical quality, extent of original work, effectiveness of presentation, and quality of visual aids."

Silliman began his career as director of engineering at ERI following his graduation with honours from Cornell University, where he received bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering. A Registered Professional Engineer in Indiana, Maryland and Minnesota, Silliman served two terms as president of the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers and is the 2008 recipient of the NAB Engineering Award. He is currently secretary of the IEEE BTS and sits on the board of Tri-State Public Radio and TV in Evansville, Ind.

The Jules Cohen Award recognises broadcast engineering work that is exceptional for its integrity and professionalism; quality and thoroughness; extent and reach; and commitment to client success.

The IEEE BTS has also presented the Matti S. Siukola Memorial Award to David Layer, senior director of advanced engineering for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), for the best paper presented at the previous year's IEEE Broadcast Symposium. His winning paper is titled All Digital Radio AM Field Test Project.

In his role at NAB Labs, Layer coordinates the activities of the NAB Radio Technology Committee. He specializes in technical standards-setting and the development of the regulatory framework for terrestrial digital broadcasting technologies in the US. He is an author, contributing author or editor for numerous technical publications including IEEE Spectrum, a leading journal of the electrical engineering profession; the McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology; and the NAB Engineering Handbook, 10th Edition. Layer holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a master's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University.