Jensen Huang and Engineering Pioneers Honored at 2026 IEEE Awards

The 2026 IEEE Honors Ceremony, held on 24 April in New York City, recognized global leaders whose technological innovations have fundamentally reshaped modern communication, computing, and artificial intelligence. The event highlighted recipients of prestigious industry awards, including Nvidia co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang, who received the IEEE Medal of Honor for his contributions to graphics processing units and their application to scientific computing and AI.

Who Received the 2026 IEEE Medal of Honor?

Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, was awarded the IEEE Medal of Honor, the organization’s highest recognition. During the ceremony at Cipriani 42nd Street, Huang was celebrated for his leadership in developing graphics processing units (GPUs) and their critical role in advancing artificial intelligence and scientific research.

Following the presentation, Huang donated his cash prize to IEEE TryEngineering, an initiative that provides educators with lesson plans and organizes summer camps for students. The Jen-Hsun and Lori Huang Foundation matched the gift, with the combined funds designated to support scholarships for new engineering graduates. “Engineering is a pursuit of what must be possible,” Huang stated during his acceptance. “IEEE is the spirit, the conscience, of our profession.”

How Are Engineers Driving Digital Equity and Innovation?

The ceremony also honored Marian Croak, vice president of engineering at Google, with the IEEE Founders Medal. Croak was recognized for her leadership in communication networks, specifically her work in accelerating digital equity and developing responsible artificial intelligence.

Her career includes pioneering Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies, which transitioned voice data from traditional phone lines to the internet, facilitating modern audio and video conferencing. Additionally, Croak developed text-to-donate technology, which allowed mobile users to contribute to relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. “Empathy has always been a driving force in the engineering that I’ve done,” Croak noted during a conversation with IEEE president and CEO Mary Ellen Randall.

Which Other Innovations Were Recognized?

The 2026 Honors Ceremony recognized more than 20 laureates whose work spans materials science, semiconductor technology, and digital imaging. Key honorees included:

* Eric Fossum: An IEEE Life Fellow who received the IEEE Jun-ichi Nishizawa Medal. Fossum is credited with inventing the CMOS image sensor at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Often referred to as a “camera on a chip,” this technology is now a standard component in smartphones, vehicles, and medical devices.
* Steven P. DenBaars: A professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who was awarded the IEEE Holonyak Medal for Semiconductor Optoelectronic Technologies. His research in semiconductors provided the foundation for modern solid-state lighting and high-resolution LED and laser displays.

How Is AI Influencing Modern Art and Data?

Beyond traditional hardware, this year’s IEEE program explored the intersection of artificial intelligence and the visual arts. Artist Refik Anadol, interviewed by 2025 IEEE president Kathleen Kramer, discussed his upcoming AI art museum, Dataland, set to open in Los Angeles on 20 June. Anadol’s work utilizes large-scale datasets—including millions of images from institutions like the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History—to create AI-generated exhibits.

Artist and Pentagram partner Giorgia Lupi also presented her work, which focuses on using data to tell human stories. Lupi collaborated with IEEE to produce an animated video for the Honors Ceremony that visualized the shared professional pathways and collaborative history of the award recipients.

Key Takeaways from the 2026 IEEE Honors Ceremony

• Top Honor: Jensen Huang received the IEEE Medal of Honor for his work on GPUs and AI.
• Social Impact: Marian Croak was honored with the Founders Medal for her contributions to VoIP and digital equity.
• Imaging Breakthroughs: Eric Fossum was recognized for the CMOS image sensor, a technology central to modern smartphone photography.
• Educational Support: Scholarship funding for new graduates was bolstered by a matched donation from the Jen-Hsun and Lori Huang Foundation.

The event concluded with a focus on the future of engineering, with IEEE leadership emphasizing the organization’s role in fostering innovation for the benefit of humanity. Attendees included early-career achievers who participated in a forum on 23 April to discuss the future of technical disciplines alongside the year’s laureates.