Andrea Goldsmith (engineer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrea Goldsmith
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley |
| Known for | Wireless communications |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Electrical engineering |
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| Thesis | Design and Performance of High-Speed Communication Systems over Time-Varying Radio Channels (1994) |
| Doctoral advisor | Pravin Varaiya |
| Doctoral students | Mohamed-Slim Alouini |
Andrea Goldsmith is an American electrical engineer. She is the dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Princeton University. She is also a professor of electrical engineering at Princeton. In February 2025, Goldsmith was announced as the president-elect at Stony Brook University. Her presidency began on August 1, 2025.
Before Princeton, Goldsmith was a professor at Stanford University. She worked in the Stanford School of Engineering. She is very interested in how wireless systems and networks work. She also studies how communication ideas can be used in neuroscience. Goldsmith helped start two companies, Plume Wi-Fi and Quantenna Communications. She was the chief technology officer for both. Since 2021, she has been part of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). This group advises the U.S. President on science and technology.
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Andrea's Early Life and School
Andrea Goldsmith grew up in the San Fernando Valley, California. Her father, Werner Goldsmith, was a mechanical engineering professor. Her mother, Adrienne Goldsmith, was an animator for cartoons. She worked on shows like The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.
Andrea studied engineering math at the University of California, Berkeley. She earned her first degree in 1986. She then got her master's degree in electrical engineering in 1991. She finished her PhD in electrical engineering in 1994. Before her PhD, she worked for four years. She was a systems engineer at a company in Silicon Valley. This company worked on defense communications.
Andrea's Career in Engineering
Goldsmith started her teaching career at the California Institute of Technology. She worked there for four years. In 1999, she joined Stanford University. She became an associate professor in 2002 and a full professor in 2007. At Stanford, she led the faculty senate. She also worked on a group focused on women in leadership.
In 2006, she took a break from Stanford. She helped start Quantenna Communications. This company makes special chips for fast wireless video. She was the chief technology officer there. She returned to Stanford in 2008. She also helped start Plume Wi-Fi in 2014. This company develops Wi-Fi technology.
In 2020, she became the dean of Engineering and Applied Science at Princeton. This was an important time for Princeton's engineering school. It planned to grow its faculty by 50%. It also planned to build new buildings and encourage more new ideas.
Andrea's Inventions and Books
Andrea Goldsmith is an inventor and a consultant. She has received 38 patents for her inventions. She has also written or co-written several books. These include Wireless Communication and MIMO Wireless Communications. She has led many research projects. One was DARPA's ITMANET program. She also works with the National Science Foundation on the Science of Information Center.
Andrea's Leadership in IEEE
Goldsmith has been very active in the IEEE. This is a large organization for engineers. She served on important boards for the Information Theory and Communications societies. She was also a special lecturer for both groups. In 2009, she was the president of the IEEE Information Theory Society. She also started and led the Student Committee for this society. She now leads the IEEE Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. This committee works to make engineering more welcoming for everyone.
Awards and Honors
Andrea Goldsmith has received many awards for her work.
- In 2005, she became an IEEE fellow. This was for her work on wireless communication systems.
- She won the Gilbreth Lecture Award from the National Academy of Engineering in 2002.
- In 2010, she received the Women of Influence Award from the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
- She won the Edwin H. Armstrong Achievement Award in 2014. This was from the IEEE Communications Society.
- In 2017, she became a member of the National Academy of Engineering. She also joined the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. These are very high honors.
- She received the Women in Communications Engineering (WICE) Mentorship Award in 2017. This was for helping women in technology and engineering.
- In 2018, she won the ACM Athena Lecturer Award.
- Goldsmith won the Marconi Prize in 2020. This is considered one of the top awards in communications.
Andrea's Family Life
Andrea Goldsmith lives in Menlo Park, California. She lives with her husband, Arturo Salz, who is also a scientist. They have children together.
