Dr. M.C. Frank Chang, co-founder of Kneron and distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering at UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, has been awarded the 2025 John Fritz Medal. The medal, established in 1902, recognizes lifetime achievement in engineering. It is coordinated by the Society of Mining, Metallurgy, & Exploration. Past recipients include Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Orville Wright, Guglielmo Marconi, Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore, and Elon Musk.
The award was presented on February 18, 2026, at the 2026 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco. Dr. Chang was honored for pioneering contributions and innovations in the development of heterojunction technology and system-on-chip technologies with unprecedented functionality, bandwidth, and re-configurability.
His work includes heterojunction bipolar transistor technology, ultra-high-speed data converters, and high-frequency integrated transceiver circuits. These advancements have influenced semiconductor applications in wireless communications and high-performance computing.
At UCLA since 1997, he has led the High Speed Electronics Lab, focusing on integrated circuits for high-frequency system-on-chip applications. He previously worked at Rockwell International on integrated-circuit technologies.
As co-founder of Kneron, Dr. Chang contributed to the company's development of energy-efficient AI accelerators for edge inference using Neural Processing Units (NPUs).
The award occurs amid increasing demand for AI hardware that addresses power consumption and scalability issues in GPU-based systems. Kneron's NPU architecture supports localized processing for applications in smart vehicles, security systems, AIoT devices, and distributed AI.
Dr. Chang holds positions including holder of the Wintek Chair in Electrical Engineering at UCLA. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, European Academy of Sciences and Arts, IEEE Life Fellow, fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and Academia Sinica, and eminent member of IEEE Eta Kappa Nu.
He previously received the 2023 IEEE/Royal Society of Edinburgh James Clerk Maxwell Award.
