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James Edward West, famous for his co invention of microphones used in 90 percent of all of the world's telephones, received a 2006 National Medal of Technology Laureate award at a White House ceremony held Friday, July 27, 2007. Dr. West was recognized for co-inventing the electret microphone while working with Gerhard Sessler at Bell Labs in 1962.
Ninety percent of the two billion microphones produced annually and used in everyday items such as telephones, hearing aids, camcorders, and multimedia computers employ electret technology. Over his 40-year career with Bell Labs, West built upon this research and obtained more than 200 U.S. and foreign patents. West also authored or contributed to more than 100 technical papers and several books on acoustics, solid-state physics, and materials science.
Now a research professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, Dr.West is still interested in improving telephone microphones, telling Bruce Phillips for USBE Online, "It's been a long time since we've had a dramatic improvement in telephone communication quality." West is collaborating in research to improve the quality of voice communications by bringing elements of stereo and surround-sound technology to hands-free and handheld devices, and ultimately hopes to improve teleconferencing technology by transmitting stereophonic sound over the Internet.
Dr. West’s achievements have earned him numerous professional honors. In 1998, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. A year later, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Acoustical Society of America.
The President of the United States has given annual National Medals of Science and Technology since 1985; they are the nation’s highest honor for leading innovators in electronics, medicine, national security, optics, and communication industries.
A virtual spokesperson for black technology, BlackEngineer aspires to serve as leading news and information provider on the advancements in black technology with deep insights into black engineering, black entrepreneurs, black education, and historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). In fact, BlackEngineer is one of the very few to promote the achievements of black technology. The Black engineer of the year awards (BEYA) is one of our successful ventures to promote black technology, progress and achievements made in black technology, and the sentiments of the Black community in the US, the UK, Caribbean, and Africa.
Black technology entrepreneurs are increasingly providing the horsepower that drives the global economy. Over the last two decades, black entrepreneurs have created more jobs, and contributed much more to the economic expansion of the Black community as a whole, than any black pastor or politician. Black entrepreneurs are taking risks and building businesses that generate economic growth and increase prosperity in underserved areas, as more minority-owned and minority-focused businesses emerge, willing to serve the financial needs of Black entrepreneurs. US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine's annual list of Top Black Technology Entrepreneurs reflects the expanding scope of leading Black entrepreneurs in information technology, homeland security, and defense.
