Dr. Babak Parviz was honored with the award at the 2017 U-M commencement ceremony. Credit: The University of Michigan.
Affiliate Professor Babak Parviz received the prestigious Bicentennial Alumni Award from his alma mater The University of Michigan (U-M) for his “pioneering technological innovations that augment human potential and improve peoples’ lives.” To date, Parviz is one of 20 alumni to earn this exclusive award.
Parviz has revolutionized communication technology through advances in optics, self-assembly and miniaturized electronics. In 2010, Parviz joined Google and was the leader behind the Glass Project. Parviz has brought his vision to the UW Department of Electrical Engineering as an adjunct professor. Here, he has worked with researchers on several pioneering projects, including the development of “smart” contact lenses – ones that can monitor glucose levels.
Currently, Parviz is Vice-President at Amazon. Parviz has received numerous awards, including Time magazine Best Inventions of the Year honors in 2008 and 2012, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Circuits and Systems Society Industrial Pioneer Award, Design News Golden Mousetrap Lifetime Achievement Award and a National Science Foundation Career Award.
The U-M Bicentennial Alumni Awards were established to “highlight the breadth and excellence of recent alumni.” Parviz’s work articulates this depth. He continues to blur the lines between medical and consumer technology, focusing on work that operates for large-scale societal impact.
—
Information for this article was gathered from a recent University of Michigan news release.