2011 Walston Chubb Award for Innovation
Casimer DeCusatis is an IBM Distinguished Engineer based in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he currently serves as an architect for network and I/O solutions, including extended distance connectivity. He is an IBM Master Inventor with over 85 patents, and the recipient of several industry awards, including the IEEE Kiyo Tomiyasu Award, the EDN Innovator of the Year Award, the Mensa Research Foundation Copper Black Award for Creative Achievement, and the IEEE/HKN Outstanding Young Electrical Engineer Award. He is co-author of more than 100 technical papers, book chapters, and encyclopedia articles, and editor of the Handbook of Fiber Optic Data Communication (now in its 3rd edition). He is a member of the IBM Academy of Technology and co-leader of the Academy study "Innovation Ecosystems." DeCusatis received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his B.S. magna cum laude in the Engineering Science Honors Program from the Pennsylvania State University. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, Optical Society of America, and SPIE (the international optical engineering society), a member of the Order of the Engineer, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, Mensa, and various other professional organizations and honor societies. He also serves as founder and director of Hudson Valley FIRST Lego League, which offers over 1,000 students each year the opportunity to pursue their interest in science and technology.