Page 24 - The Indian EYE 110323

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline NOVEMBER 03, 2023 | The Indian Eye 24

ing the short end of the stick. If I can make that difference, go even a little bit in This technology has revolutionized high-speed wireless access, connecting not
that direction, I think that’s fantastic,” Gadgil told Barkley Lab in an interview. only the 6.5 billion smartphone users but also an additional 12 billion personal
Gadgil earned degrees in physics from the University of Bombay (now Mumbai), and machine-type devices to the internet.
the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, and his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley. Dr Paulraj also founded/cofounded three national laboratories in India,
spanning AI and robotics, military electronics, and high-performance comput-
TIGER ANALYTICS ing. In 1991, he joined Stanford University. Dr Paulraj invented the MIMO
Silicon Valley’s Artificial Intel- technique in 1992, while working on a DARPA project for US defense. He
completed his PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, India. He
has received several awards, including the National Inventors Hall of Fame
ligence company enters Bihar (USPTO), the Marconi Prize and Fellowship in 2014, and the IEEE Alexander
Graham Bell Medal in 2011. He is a fellow of eight scientific and engineer-
ing national academies, including those in the United States, China, India, and
Sweden. Additionally, he is a fellow of the IEEE and AAAS.
In 1999, Paulraj founded Iospan Wireless Inc., a company that played a
pivotal role in developing and establishing MIMO-OFDMA wireless as the
core technology for 4G networks. Iospan was subsequently acquired by Intel
Corporation in 2003. In 2004, he co-founded Beceem Communications Inc.,
which became a market leader in 4G-WiMAX semiconductor technology and
was acquired by Broadcom Corp. in 2010.
SAMIR MAYEKAR

Innovator to helm the Polsky

Center in Chicago
A amir Mayekar, an Indian American and accomplished leader with a track
Silicon Valley-based Artificial Intelligence company has inaugurated an
office in Bihar, making it the first IT company from the US to enter this
record of driving innovation and impact across the public, private, and
state of India. Mahesh Kumar, the founder and CEO of Tiger Analytics
said “We are hoping that the initial step that we are taking, can lead to a lot of Snot-for-profit sectors, has been named managing director of the Univer-
sity of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, effective
progress down the road.” Nov. 6, 2023.
Kumar, a Bihar native himself, said during the COVID crisis a large num-
As head of the Polsky Center, Mayekar will play a pivotal role in advanc-
ber of its employees went back home to Bihar and started working remotely. ing UChicago’s ambitious priorities in innovation, technology commercializa-
“So, we realised that they’re very good talented people, young people, they
want to stay close to home but there are no opportunities in Bihar for them to tion, and entrepreneurship. He will foster connections across the University,
the city of Chicago, the region, and the world that will enable the Polsky Cen-
work. Even when we set up the Patna office, a lot of social media responses ter to accelerate the commercialization of critical technologies.
came. People are looking forward to Tiger (Analytics) growing there (in Bihar) “I am excited to bring my civic, corporate, and entrepreneurial experience
so they can go back and work from there,” Kumar explained the rationale. to enhance the Polsky Center’s role as a platform to both support local eco-
Tiger Analytics, which is headquartered in Santa Clara, has grown from a
team of 10 to a diverse set of 4,000 tech experts. It started from a home office nomic development on the South Side and advance the commercialization of
globally needed technologies to solve critical issues — from climate change to
to a presence across five continents with a technology focus building from ML public health and responsible artificial intelligence,” said Samir Mayekar.
solutions to enterprise AI.
The Polsky Center was established in 1998 through Chicago Booth to pro-
AROGYASWAMI PAULRAJ vide training and venture support for students pursuing opportunities in en-
trepreneurship. The Polsky Center is also home to the University’s technology
Leading scientist honored commercialization office.
Mayekar earned his bachelor’s degree and MBA from Northwestern and is
with IET Faraday Medal a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
Most recently, Mayekar served as deputy mayor for the city of Chicago,
where he focused on economic and neighborhood development. A driving
he Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in the UK conferred force behind initiatives such as the city’s INVEST South/West initiative, he mar-
the 2023 Faraday Medal upon Stanford University Professor Emeritus shaled resources from across city departments, community organizations, and
Tand Celesta Capital Advisor Arogyaswami Paulraj. Dr Paulraj became corporate and philanthropic partners to support commercial corridors across
the 100th recipient of this prestigious award at a ceremony held in London. several South and West Side neighborhoods.
Paulraj said, “I am extremely honored to be awarded the IET Faraday Med- Prior to working for the city of Chicago, Mayekar served in the Obama ad-
al. I believe digital access is truly an equalizer in terms of opportunity creation, ministration, where he was part of the White House’s national security team and
and with 5G, India has the potential to enter and succeed in deep technology the executive staff at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.
industries. Since almost all the value addition in these industries comes from “Samir brings a marvelous energy to building partnerships and is creative
innovation and IP ownership, the industry has many barriers to entry. Going and thoughtful in his approach to new business opportunities,” said President
forward, India must thoroughly understand all the industry dynamics to frame Paul Alivisatos. “The University and the Polsky Center will benefit from his
a successful path.” talent, experience, and commitment,” he added.
The citation recognized his contributions ‘For the invention, advancement, Mayekar’s work in both high-tech innovation and urban economic devel-
and commercialization of MIMO Wireless’. The Faraday Medal stands as one opment is well-matched to the Polsky Center’s goals and mission, including the
of the world’s most distinguished honours for engineers and scientists who have advancement of a wide range of technologies — from clean energy and life sci-
made significant contributions to the advancement of technologies with global ences to quantum, information sciences, and data science, as per the University.
impact. To read more about Indian-Americans and Indian diaspora around the world,
MIMO (Multiple In, Multiple Out) wireless technology plays a crucial role log on to and follow us on www.theindianeye.com
in powering 4G, 5G mobile, and WiFi networks, and its impact is extensive.

www.TheIndianEYE.com