MITRE's John Betz Named IEEE Fellow

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

BEDFORD, Mass., January 28 , 2009 — The MITRE Corporation is pleased to announce that Dr. John W. Betz, MITRE Fellow and noted Global Positioning System (GPS) expert, was recently named a 2009 IEEE Fellow. IEEE is the leading professional association for the advancement of technology.

The IEEE's grade of Fellow recognizes "unusual distinction and significant contributions to the advancement or application of engineering, science, and technology" with significant value to society. Betz was specifically honored "for contributions to signal design and radio frequency compatibility of global positioning and navigation satellite systems." The class of 2009 Fellows was announced at the November 12 meeting of the IEEE's Board of Directors.

In his 19-year tenure at MITRE, Betz has contributed to the evolution of the company's GPS work, from developing anti-jamming receiver technologies for the military to signal-design innovations critical to modernizing and expanding GPS. (MITRE's early GPS work involved its uses in civil aviation and for the military, specifically in support of AWACS, the Airborne Warning and Control System, developed in the 1970s.) He served as a leader of and technical contributor to the GPS Modernization Signal Development Team, which designed the new M-code signal—the world's premier military signal for satellite navigation. As part of that effort, he developed the binary offset carrier modulation now used in many satellite-based navigation systems.

Betz's technical contributions to signal design and performance assessment have influenced not only GPS, but other satellite navigation systems in development across the globe. He has played a key role in international negotiations regarding compatibility and interoperability issues as other countries develop their own satellite navigation systems. Earlier this year, Betz received a MITRE Board of Trustee's Award for his technical leadership demonstrated during these complex discussions. In 2003, he became one of only six MITRE Fellows appointed since the position was created in 1962. Recognized nationally and internationally as experts in their field, MITRE Fellows advise the company's leadership on vital technical matters.

"John's many achievements have had an impact on a global scale," said MITRE president and chief executive officer Alfred Grasso. "His work continues to help our sponsors strengthen satellite-based navigation for the armed services and to improve worldwide development of satellite-based navigation for civilian use."

Betz was previously named as a Fellow of the Institute of Navigation, where he also was co-recipient of the Burka Award for authoring papers contributing to the advancement of navigation and space guidance. For his role in the U.S./European Union negotiations on GPS and Galileo (the European GPS system), he received the U.S. State Department Superior Honor Award. Betz became chair of the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board in October.

About MITRE
The MITRE Corporation (www.mitre.org) is a not-for-profit national resource that provides systems engineering, research and development, and information technology support to the government. It operates federally funded research and development centers for the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Veterans Affairs, with principal locations in Bedford, Mass., and McLean, Va.

About IEEE
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.) is the world's largest technical professional society. Through its more than 375,000 members in 160 countries, the organization is a leading authority on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power, and consumer electronics. Dedicated to the advancement of technology, the IEEE publishes 30 percent of the world's literature in the electrical and electronics engineering and computer science fields and has developed nearly 900 active industry standards. The organization annually sponsors more than 850 conferences worldwide. Additional information about the IEEE can be found at http://www.ieee.org.

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