Mark Dean (computer scientist) facts for kids

Mark E. Dean (born March 2, 1957) is an American inventor and computer engineer. He developed the ISA bus, and he led a design team for making a one-gigahertz computer processor chip. He holds three of nine PC patents for being the co-creator of the IBM personal computer released in 1981. In 1995, Dean was named the first ever African-American IBM Fellow.

Dean was elected as a member into the National Academy of Engineering in 2000 for innovative and pioneering contributions to personal computer development.

In 2000, Mark discussed a hand held device that would be able to display media content, like a digital newspaper. In August 2011, Dean stated that he uses a tablet computer instead of a PC in his blog.

Early life

Dean was born in Jefferson City, Tennessee. Dean displayed an affinity for technology and invention at a young age. His father, James, worked bob electrical equipment for turbines and spillways. James would often bring Mark with him on work trips, introducing him to engineering. When Mark was young, he and his dad constructed a tractor from scratch. In middle school, Mark had made up his mind on becoming a computer engineer. Dean attended Jefferson City High School in Tennessee, where he excelled in both academics and athletics. While in high school, during the 1970s, Mark built his own personal computer.

Recognition

Dean is the first African-American to become an IBM Fellow, which is the highest level of technical excellence at the company. In 1997, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2001. In 1997, Dean was awarded the Black Engineer of the Year Presidents Award. From August 2018 to July 2019, Dean was the interim dean of the UT's Tickle College of Engineering.

As of April 26, 2019, April 25 is now officially Mark Dean Day in Knox County, Tennessee.

Career

Mark graduated with a bachelors in electrical engineering during 1979. Soon after, Mark got a job at IBM as an engineer. His first task at the company was to create a word processor adapter for IBM's Datamaster terminal. During this time, he also created the ISA bus that allowed additional components to be connected to a PC. His work got him promoted in 1982 to chief engineer of PC design, where he worked with a team to develop the IBM PC. In the same year, Mark earned his master's degree in electrical engineering. 17 years later, in 1999, Dean and his team developed a gigahertz microchip, the first in the world.

Dean was an IBM Vice President overseeing the company's Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California. At one point, Mark was CTO for IBM Middle East and Africa. He retired from the company in 2013 and became a professor at University of Tennessee. Mark Dean is the John Fisher Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee.

Dean now holds more than 20 patents, and his work led to development of the color PC monitor.

Patents