The award, sponsored by the Leon K. Kirchmayer Memorial Fund, recognizes Cressler for inspirational teaching and student mentoring in the field of advanced microelectronic devices and circuits.

Cressler will be presented with the award on February 21 at the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, in San Francisco, Calif.

Known for his approachability and his unlimited patience, Cressler includes unique design experiences within his graduate courses so that students gain exposure to real-world challenges, learn to communicate with diverse audiences and work together in a team environment to solve complex problems, the IEEE award announcement said.

"John is passionately dedicated to finding engineering and technological solutions to the challenges that the world faces today, and he is an exemplary ambassador for our profession," said Gary May, fellow professor and Steve W. Chaddick School Chair of Georgia Tech's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. 

Cressler also instills his passion for social awareness within his students, examining both the positive and negative aspects of the global micro- and nanoelectronics revolution. According to former students, known to many in industry as “Cressler Students,” Cressler has inspired them to use technology to build a better world and to seek balance in life while they excel professionally. Cressler consistently receives high ratings from student surveys and is admired by students and faculty alike.

Cressler is considered a leading expert in silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor technology. This technology opens the door for low-cost but high-performance electronics and systems needed to support ever-increasing global communications needs. The experience he gained in industry prior to starting his teaching career clearly influences his classroom style and philosophy. He has maintained close ties to both industry and government sponsors, ensuring that his students’ research has timely impact on the ever-changing communications marketplace. 

Cressler also serves as faculty mentor for Georgia Tech’s SURE program, which brings top-notch minority undergraduates to the school and incorporates them into research teams for a taste of what graduate school is all about.

Before joining Georgia Tech in 2002, Cressler worked at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. and served on the ECE faculty at Auburn University. He is an IEEE Fellow and is a previous recipient of the Georgia Tech Outstanding Faculty Leadership for the Development of Graduate Research Assistants Award (2007) and the Georgia Tech Class of 1940 W. Howard Ector Outstanding Teacher Award (2010).