Alan E. Willner

Alan E. Willner is the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Professorial Chair and Distinguished Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC), with a joint appointment in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the Dornsife College. He has held visiting positions at Columbia University, University College London, and the Weizmann Institute of Science.

• Education: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering (Columbia University, 1988), B.A. in Physics (1982), Honorary Doctorate (Yeshiva University, 2012).

His research focuses on optical technologies for communications, signal processing, networks, and subsystems. He has contributed to advancements in optical dispersion compensation and high-speed (40-Gbit/s) systems through his company Phaethon Communications, later acquired by Teraxion.

Prof. Willner has held leadership roles in organizations such as the IEEE Photonics Society and Optica, and has served on advisory boards for DARPA and the U.S. Army. He has authored over 1700 publications, 46 U.S. patents, and 54 keynotes, with an h-index ≥85.

• Scientific Awards & Honors:
  • Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering
  • Presidential Faculty Fellows Award
  • Honorary Doctorate from Yeshiva University
  • IEEE Eric Sumner Technical Field Award
  • USC Associates Award for Creativity in Research
  • Optica Paul Forman Award
  • Over 30 additional major awards and fellowships

He has advised numerous students indirectly, led the Optical Communications Laboratory (OCLab), and contributed to national initiatives like the National Photonics Initiative. His editorial roles include Editor-in-Chief of OSA Optics Letters and IEEE/OSA Journal of Lightwave Technology.