ECE alumnus Edmund O. Schweitzer III to receive honorary Doctor of Engineering
Purdue ECE alumnus Edmund O. Schweitzer III will receive an honorary Doctor of Engineering from the College of Engineering during the Division II ceremony of Spring 2022 commencement.
Schweitzer is recognized as a pioneer in digital protection and holds the grade of Fellow in the IEEE. In 2012, he received the 2012 Medal in Power Engineering, the highest award given by the IEEE, for his leadership in revolutionizing the performance of electrical power systems with computer-based protection and control.
Schweitzer received his bachelor's and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Purdue and his doctoral degree from Washington State University. He founded Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc. in 1982 to develop and manufacture digital protective relays and related products and services. SEL operates a facility in Discovery Park District at Purdue.
Schweitzer has written dozens of technical papers in the areas of digital relay design and reliability and holds more than 200 patents. In 2019, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his invention of the first digital protective relay.
Schweitzer and his wife, Beatriz, were honored in October 2020 with the renaming of the Purdue Polytechnic High School flagship campus for their $4 million commitment to programs and scholarships to support underrepresented students. Purdue Polytechnic High School Schweitzer Center at Englewood celebrated its first graduating class last year, with many attending Purdue.
Souce: Purdue’s annual rite of spring: Happy grads to cross Elliott stage during spring ceremonies