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 a leading American electrical engineer. She is currently the Dean of Engineering and Applied Science at Princeton University. Before this, she was a professor at Stanford University.
Goldsmith is famous for her work on wireless communication systems. She helps design how our phones and Wi-Fi devices connect. She also helped start two companies, Plume WiFi and Quantenna Communications. Since 2021, she has been a member of a special group that advises the US President on science and technology.
Early Life and Education
Andrea Goldsmith grew up in the San Fernando Valley, California. Her father, Werner Goldsmith, was a professor of mechanical engineering. Her mother, Adrienne Goldsmith, was an animator for popular cartoon shows. One of these was The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.
Andrea studied at the University of California, Berkeley. She earned her first degree in engineering math in 1986. She then got her master's degree in electrical engineering in 1991. She completed her PhD in electrical engineering in 1994. Before finishing her PhD, she worked for four years as a systems engineer. This was at a company in Silicon Valley that made defense communication systems.
Work and Academic Career
Andrea 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 a full professor there in 2007.
In 2006, she took a break from Stanford. She co-founded a company called Quantenna Communications. This company makes special computer chips for very fast wireless home networks. She was the chief technology officer (CTO) there until she returned to Stanford in 2008. She also helped start Plume Wi-Fi in 2014, which develops Wi-Fi technology.
In 2020, she became the Dean of Engineering at Princeton University. She is helping Princeton grow its engineering programs. This includes building new facilities and encouraging more innovation.
Andrea Goldsmith is also an inventor. She holds 29 patents for her inventions. She has written and co-written several important books. These include Wireless Communication and MIMO Wireless Communications. She has also led many research projects.
She is very active in the IEEE, a large organization for engineers. She has held many leadership roles there. She also works to encourage more women to join technology and engineering fields. In 2017, she won an award for her mentorship efforts. She was also elected to the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. These are big honors for her contributions to wireless communication. In 2020, she won the Marconi Prize. This is considered the top award in the field of communications.
Awards
- IEEE fellow (2005) – for her work on wireless communication systems.
- National Academy of Engineering Gilbreth Lecture Award (2002).
- Silicon Valley Business Journal Women of Influence Award (2010).
- IEEE Communications Society Edwin H. Armstrong Achievement Award (2014).
- Member, National Academy of Engineering (2017).
- Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2017).
- Women in Communications Engineering (WICE) Mentorship Award (2017).
- ACM Athena Lecturer Award (2018).
- Marconi Prize (2020).
Personal Life
Andrea Goldsmith lives in Menlo Park, California. She lives with her husband, Arturo Salz, and their children.
