Dr. Fang-Chen Luo was announced as the recipient for the 2011 IEEE Jun-ichi Nishizawa Medal for his long-term contribution to the development of thin film transistor liquid crystal display panels (TFT-LCDs), AU Optronics (AUO) Corp. said. The IEEE Jun-ichi Nishizawa Medal commemorates Dr. Jun-ichi Nishizawa of Japan, who made achievements in the development of semiconductors. The award was established to recognize his lifelong achievements. The Medal is awarded based on a stringent set of criteria, including quality and originality of the technical achievement; research effort and resources devoted; number of publications, patents and awards, and their significance; impact on the academia, industry and benefit to the society. Co-recipients of this year’s Medal include Dr. Peter Brody, who served at Westinghouse and was also a forerunner in TFT-LCD development, and Dr. Bernard Lechner, the creator of active matrix at RCA. Luo, the chief intellectual property officer at AUO since October 2010, has devoted himself to TFT research and development for more than 40 years. In 1973 and 1974, respectively, Luo demonstrated the world’s first TFT-EL and TFT-LCD panels at Westinghouse. Around this time, he also pioneered the application of TFT-LCD to avionics. While serving at GE and OIS, he made successful attempts to develop TFT-LCDs for military use. He has also committed to the development of Taiwan’s TFT-LCD industry. With the establishment of the Taiwan TFT-LCD Association (TTLA) in 2002, Luo began hosting the industry specific projects of TTLA Advanced Technology Research Organization. Before taking on his current role, Luo served as the company’s chief technical officer since 1996. In his new role, Luo leads his team to develop various innovative technologies, manage and increase intellectual properties, and establish the company’s patent map. The company said it will continue its commitment and development with TFT-LCDs, as well as develop innovative products and technologies for an all-new green digital life experience supported by its robust patent map. The IEEE Honors Ceremony will take place in August 2011, in San Francisco, to formally acknowledge the contributions and accomplishments of the recipients. IEEE is the world’s largest electrical and electronics engineering technical professional association, with approximately 400,000 members in 160 countries. AU Optronics provides TFT-LCD panels in sizes ranging from 1.2 to >65 in. For more information, visit: www.aou.com