Natcast CEO Recognized for Her Visionary Leadership in Electronic Design Automation
WASHINGTON – August 15, 2024 – Natcast, the purpose-built, non-profit entity created to operate the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) consortium, established by the CHIPS and Science Act of the U.S. government, today announced that Natcast CEO Deirdre Hanford has been honored as the 2025 recipient of the IEEE Frederik Philips Award for her visionary leadership in electronic design automation for secure and energy-efficient microelectronics.
“Deirdre’s relentless pursuit of excellence makes her an ideal recipient of this esteemed recognition, and I am confident that her work will continue to inspire and shape the future of electronic design,” said Ivo Bolsens, senior vice president, AMD (retired), and one of Hanford’s award nominators.
Each year, the IEEE Awards Board recommends a select group of recipients to receive IEEE’s most prestigious honors. These are individuals whose exceptional achievements and outstanding contributions have made a lasting impact on technology, society, and the engineering profession. The IEEE Frederik Philips Award celebrates individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and achievements in the management of research and development resulting in effective innovation in the electrical and electronics industry.
“For decades, Electronic Design Automation has been a catalyst for the ingenuity of the semiconductor industry, said Dr. Aart de Geus, Synopsys executive chair and founder. “In her 36 years at Synopsys, initially as our very first applications engineer, later as corporate executive, Deirdre’s extraordinary talent and skill has always been to make her customers successful as she scaled the standard of excellence in our field. As CEO of Natcast, she will now have a profound impact on the competitiveness of both the semiconductor industry and the nation. Congratulations, Deirdre! Well-deserved and timely, given your far-reaching new mission!”
Hanford has spent her career advancing the semiconductor and broader microelectronics ecosystem. Prior to leading Natcast as the nonprofit’s first CEO, Hanford spent 36 years at Synopsys, a technology and market leader in electronic design automation and semiconductor design intellectual property, where she held leadership roles, including leading efforts to drive industry awareness and enablement for secure design from software to silicon and as co-GM of Design Group. Hanford was also an inaugural member of the Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Industrial Advisory Committee (IAC), created by the CHIPS and Science Act to advise the federal government on the implementation of the CHIPS R&D programs. As the leader of IAC’s Public Private Partnership working group, Hanford drove alignment on key recommendations to DOC regarding the formation and operation of the NSTC. Hanford has also served as a board member of Cirrus Logic, a member of the University of California Berkeley’s College of Engineering, and as co-chair of Purdue University’s Semiconductor Degrees Leadership Board.
“I am honored and humbled to be recognized as the 2025 IEEE Frederik Philips Award recipient,” said Hanford. “The future of electronic design automation holds immense potential to transform our world. As the microelectronics ecosystem continues to innovate, we must prioritize the development of technologies that are performant, secure, and energy efficient. In doing so, we can tackle global challenges and drive progress in ways that benefit not only the industry but society as a whole.”
The IEEE Frederik Philips Award will be presented to Hanford at the 2025 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), set to take place December 2025 in San Francisco. Hanford was also recently honored with the Brown Engineering Alumni Medal (BEAM) for her exceptional record of accomplishment in her engineering career.
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ABOUT NATCAST
Natcast is the purpose-built, non-profit entity created to operate the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), established by the CHIPS and Science Act of the U.S. government. The NSTC is a public-private consortium dedicated to semiconductor R&D in the United States. It convenes the U.S. government, allied and partner nations, and organizations across the semiconductor ecosystem—including academia and businesses of all kinds—to address the most challenging barriers to continued technological progress in the domestic semiconductor industry, including the need for a capable workforce. The NSTC reflects a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the U.S. to drive the pace of innovation, set standards, and re-establish global leadership in semiconductor design and manufacturing. Learn more at natcast.org.
ABOUT IEEE
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