M. E. Van Valkenburg

Biography

Mac Elwyn Van Valkenburg received the 1972 IEEE James H. Mulligan, Jr. Education Medal "For outstanding textbooks in circuit theory, innovations in undergraduate teaching, inspired guidance of students, and professional leadership in electrical engineering."

Van Valkenburg was born in Utah on October 5, 1921. He received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Utah (1943), his master's degree in electrical engineering from MIT (1946), and his doctoral degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University (1952). Van Valkenburg joined the faculty of the University of Illinois, where he taught from 1955-1966. He then joined Princeton University where he served as professor and head of electrical engineering until 1974. After leaving Princeton, he went back to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Ten years later, he was appointed Dean of the College of Engineering.

Van Valkenburg wrote seven textbooks in addition to numerous scientific articles. He received the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Lamme Medal, the ASEE George Westinghouse Award (1963), and the University of Illinois College of Engineering Halliburton Engineering Education Leadership Award. In addition to his awards, Van Valkenburg was a member of the National Academy of Engineering. The IEEE Education Society offers an annual Mac Van Valkenburg Early Teaching Award and in 1990, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign established the M.E. Van Valkenburg Graduate Research Award.

Van Valkenburg died in Orem, Utah on March 19, 1997.