VCU Engineering Professor Named Outstanding Scientist 2005

A Virginia Commonwealth University engineering professor has been named an Outstanding Scientist 2005 by Virginia Gov. Mark Warner and the Science Museum of Virginia for his groundbreaking work on compound semiconductors.

In addition, a founding director of VCU’s Massey Cancer Center was named Virginia’s 2005 Lifetime Achievement in Industry recipient.

Hadis Morkoç, Ph.D., the Virginia Microelectronics Consortium, VMEC, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Physics in VCU’s School of Engineering, was recognized for his research that has been used in various areas of technology, including cellular telephones, mini satellite dishes, transmitters for satellites, lasers used in medicine and home entertainment systems, light-emitting diodes in video displays, automotive collision avoidance systems, automatic toll systems and the Internet.

E. Morgan Massey, who was given the lifetime achievement honor, retired in 1991 as chairman, president and CEO of A.T. Massey Coal Company, but stayed in the energy business. His generosity was essential to establishing the VCU Massey Cancer Center in 1983. He is an active member of the Massey Cancer Center Advisory Board.

Warner and Science Museum of Virginia Director Walter R.T. Witschey will present the awards, along with other recognitions, to the Virginia General Assembly on Feb. 16. In addition, an awards banquet at the Science Museum of Virginia is scheduled for April 7.

“We are most fortunate to have Dr. Morkoç, who is the undisputed international leader in his research area, on our faculty,” said Robert J. Mattauch, dean of VCU’s School of Engineering. “Dr. Morkoç’s research has had an impact on so many of the technologies that make life easier for people everyday, and he is a fine example of the academic excellence available to our engineering students.”

Morkoç is responsible for inventing, developing and patenting in the area of compound semiconductors such as gallium arsenide. These semiconductors allow higher frequency of operation, higher temperature of operation and light emission in devices such as cell phones and mini satellite dishes. They also provide higher power transmitters for satellites and solid-state lasers used in medicine and home entertainment systems.

Another example of Morkoç’s work is the modulation doped field effect transistor — also known as the MODFET. Morkoç laid the groundwork for MODFETs, starting with theoretical calculations, development of the technology and actual fabrication of the first MODFETs. He holds the fundamental patent for a strained- layer, quantum well MODFET. This device is used in today’s cell phones and has permitted introduction of mini dish direct-satellite television broadcasting systems. MODFETs are also of critical importance in automotive collision avoidance systems, automatic toll systems, base-to-base satellite communications applications and the Internet. In the early 1990s he was in the Guinness Book of World Records for developing the world’s fastest transistor.

Morkoç also heads VCU’s Microelectronic Materials Device Laboratory, which is part of the C. Kenneth and Dianne Harris Wright Virginia Microelectronics Consortium. This lab focuses on educating and developing a skilled workforce needed by new high technology businesses such as Virginia Semiconductor, Micron Technology, Sterling Semiconductor, Dominion Semiconductor and Infineon. Dominion Semiconductor and Infineon expect to require a workforce of 10,000 engineers and technicians.

Massey is secretary/treasurer of the Massey Foundation and honorary chairman of the Campaign for the Massey Cancer Center. He also is president of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Foundation, on the University of Richmond Board of Advisors and the VCU School of Engineering board of trustees. In addition to the Massey Cancer Center, his philanthropic interests include the VCU School of Engineering, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the White House of the Confederacy, the Historic Richmond Foundation, the Virginia Historical Society, Hampden-Sydney College, the University of Richmond, Children’s Hospital and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.