Inventor of technology critical to national and global security
Charles V. “Jack” Jakowatz Jr. earned three Purdue electrical engineering degrees: a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a PhD in 1972, 1973 and 1976, respectively. Immediately after graduation, he embarked on an engineering career at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, where he remained for 25 years. While at Sandia, Jakowatz and his team focused on developing predominantly classified technology for the U.S. government that has been deemed crucial to national security domestically and globally. His contributions include advancement of synthetic aperture radar (SAR), an esoteric tool for remote sensing and observations that is considered among the most significant national security breakthroughs. Due to the sensitive nature of his work, many of Jakowatz's accomplishments remain classified. The National Academy of Engineering elected him a member in 2003, citing his groundbreaking innovations in SAR-imaging processing, which are critical for military applications and environmental monitoring. Purdue honored him with an Outstanding Electrical and Computer Engineer Award in 2002 and a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award in 2005.