Celebrating Gabor Temes on his 90th birthday

Gabor's 90th

Celebrating Gabor Temes on his 90th birthday

We celebrate the 60-year career of Gabor Temes on his 90th birthday. He has been at Oregon State University since 1990 and served as head of what is now the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science until 1994. A dedicated mentor, he has advised more than 100 graduate students, and counting.

He received the nation’s highest professional distinction for engineers in 2015, when he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. His work in analog circuits has improved technologies like cellphones and medical devices, and the students he has mentored over the years have multiplied the impact of his work.

Temes was also instrumental in OSU becoming a part of CDADIC.  During his tenure at UCLA, he had for years been supported by a state & industry funded research organization, and after his arrival at OSU in 1990 he began to look for a similar opportunity.  He discovered CDADIC and successfully championed to have OSU join the organization.  Additionally for a time he was OSU’s representative serving as an Associate Director of CDADIC. He has participated in CDADIC continuously for nearly 30 years now.

Finding freedom in 60 year career

There are many astonishing facts about Professor Gabor Temes’ career of more than 60 years. The longevity is perhaps the most obvious, but it also had an auspicious beginning. He had just finished his undergraduate education in electrical engineering and physics in Budapest, Hungary, when he had to flee after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.

Temes’ escape landed him in Canada, where he completed his doctorate in electrical engineering at the University of Ottawa. After several years in industry, he was drawn to an academic career for the creative freedom and his desire to teach. He has been at Oregon State since 1990 and served as head of what is now the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science until 1994.

He received the nation’s highest professional distinction for engineers in 2015, when he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. His work in analog circuits has improved technologies like cellphones and medical devices, and the students he has mentored over the years have multiplied the impact of his work.

Current doctoral student Yanchao Wang says Temes is known for his research expertise and patient mentorship, and she appreciates his example of leading a balanced life.

Temes, now 90, hikes in the woods every day. On Saturdays, his graduate students join him to talk about their research or anything else.

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