Ghanaian-born US-based Electrical Engineer, Inventor and Telecoms Expert, Dr. Victor Lawrence will today receive the National Medal of Technology from US President Joe Biden at a White House ceremony.
The award, which is reputed to be the highest recognition for Engineering in the United States, is in recognition of Dr. Lawrence’s extensive work and significant contribution to Digital Signal Processing Leading to the Transition from Analog to Digital Networks.
His major contribution to Early Internet Access Technology and Worldwide Data Communications is very well documented.
Dr Lawrence has indeed been a pioneer scientist and engineer who is credited with several inventions in his field, and holding over 20 patents.
He was the main advocate for Ghana’s fibre optics broadband infrastructure development, having persuaded former President John Agyekum Kufuor in 2002, to adopt the ICT4AD policy proposals by the Communications Ministry at the time.
The award will make Dr. Victor Lawrence the first African born recipient.
Dr. Lawrence is an alumnus of Achimota School, where he schooled between 1957 and 1964 before proceeding to Imperial College, London to study Electrical Engineering.
After completing graduate training at Imperial College in 1972, Dr. Victor Lawrence spent a year teaching at KNUST, Ghana before moving to the US where most of his career was developed and spent at the famous Bell Laboratories.
In a statement, signed by the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Dr. Ernest Aryeetey, the Board said it has learned with profound pride and joy about the scientific exploits of one of its alumni, and the school is proud to be associated with him, having provided him the first opportunity to develop an interest in science.
“The Board, staff and students of Achimota School congratulate Akora Dr. Victor B. Lawrence for his stellar contributions to science and engineering globally. The School recognizes his achievements as an inventor over several decades. This will serve as an encouragement to current and future generations of students,” the statement said.
“We say Ayekoo to an excellent Akora, of whom we are very proud,” the statement concluded.
