Yener tapped to lead IEEE Information Theory Society
01/08/2019
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Aylin Yener, professor of electrical engineering, has been tapped to lead the IEEE Information Theory Society. She was elected to serve as the second vice president for 2018, which, with the society leadership model of one-year terms, will lead to the presidency in 2020. She is the vice president for 2019.
“This prestigious position recognizes Professor Yener’s outstanding research accomplishments,” said Kultegin Aydin, department head of electrical engineering. “Her work has made a broad impact on the field of wireless communications and information theory and is of great importance in maintaining security as well as reliability in future generations of wireless systems.”
One of the oldest societies within IEEE, the Information Theory Society was founded with the mission of supporting “the open exchange of ideas in information theory…through publications, communications, meetings, outreach, education, mentoring, and recognition of excellence,” according to its website. Information Theory as a discipline was founded by Claude Shannon in 1948 and has since provided the foundation for the digital information age, impacting all communication and computing devices and networks, including smart phones and the Internet. The theory itself has broader impacts in understanding complex system behaviors, from biological systems to stock markets.
Yener has been involved in the Information Theory Society since 2007, serving first as a volunteer on various committees before being selected as the treasurer of the society. She then served as a member on the Board of Governors before accepting her most recent positions as second vice president and vice president.
“It’s an honor to be in the position that was previously held by intellectual giants who have been my heroes,” said Yener on this accomplishment. “The idea is to serve and to expand the reach of this wonderful discipline whose impact ranges from machine learning to economics. This is my home society, so it’s an absolute pleasure to take this challenge on.”
Yener joined the electrical engineering faculty at Penn State in 2002 as an assistant professor and made full professor in 2010. Her research focuses on networked systems with core areas of expertise in communications, information theory, statistical learning and network science.
Yener has over 300 publications to her name, and her contributions to the field have resulted in recognition such as a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, an IEEE Marconi Prize Paper Award and being named an IEEE fellow. These accolades and publications undoubtedly helped her to earn her latest leadership role within the IEEE Information Theory Society.
“It’s a very special society,” said Yener. “It’s housed the greatest pioneers of the information age, and will continue to do so into the future. It’s humbling to be in this group and lead it.”
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