Joseph Bordogna, Ph.D.

Professor and Dean Emeritus School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania

Joseph Bordogna is Alfred Fitler Moore Professor of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania where he served also as Director of The Moore School of Electrical Engineering, and Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. His career includes experience as an officer in the U.S. Navy, an engineer in industry, a member of the team that developed the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Ben Franklin Technology Partners (BFTP) instrument for stimulating entrepreneurial potential, a Presidential Appointee in the federal government, and worldwide President of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

From 1991 to 2005, he served at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), first as head of the Directorate for Engineering, then appointed by the President as Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of NSF. Complementary to these tasks he was a member of the President’s Management Council and chaired committees on Manufacturing, Environmental Technologies, and Automotive Technologies in the President’s National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).

He has made contributions to the engineering profession in a variety of areas including optical and radio communications, electro-optic recording materials, holographic video playback systems, educational innovation, and management of technological innovation. He led at Penn the creation of a liberal arts degree in an engineering school and an undergraduate management and technology dual-degree program between the Engineering School and Wharton Business School focused on graduating private sector entrepreneurs.

Among his recognitions, he was awarded a commendation as Operations Officer of the Flagship of the naval unit which achieved the world’s first space capsule recovery, was a member of the team that built the first semiconductor laser voice communication system that operated at room temperature, and a plateau in Antarctica is named Bordogna Plateau in recognition of his NSF Antarctic activities.

He graduated from John Bartram Public High School in Philadelphia and holds B.S.E.E. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, the S.M. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and honorary doctorate degrees in engineering, science, humanities, and humane letters.

NSF speeches archived at http://www.nsf.gov/bordogna.