Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor to Receive IEEE Leadership Award

George C. Giakos, Ph.D., professor and chair of the electrical and computer engineering department and director of the graduate program, was recently selected as a 2014 recipient of the IEEE-USA (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) Professional Achievement for Individuals Award. As a recipient, Giakos is recognized for his leadership efforts in advancing the professional goals of IEEE in the northeastern region of the U.S., and will receive the award at the IEEE-USA Awards Ceremony in Milwaukee this May.

IEEE is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity, with more than 400,000 members in over 160 countries.

IEEE-USA credits the award in recognition of Giakos’ “efforts in strengthening links between industry, government and academia.”

As a member of IEEE for nearly 20 years, Giakos is connected with many sectors of the Society. Since first becoming a member, he has served as founding chairman of the IEEE IM Society TC-19 Technical Committee. He also spearheads the IEEE Industry-Academia Forum and serves as founding director and general chairman. In addition, Giakos leads the IEEE International Conference on Imaging Systems and Techniques as founding general chairman and is founding director of the IEEE International School on Imaging.

Prior to coming to Manhattan College in 2014, Giakos spent 20 years working for The University of Akron. He served as a professor and associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and professor, associate professor and assistant professor of biomedical engineering during his time at Akron. Giakos also worked for the Medical Imaging Research Laboratory at the University of Tennessee’s Health Science Center.

Throughout his career in academia, Giakos has conducted research on technology innovation targeted in the design and development of imaging devices, systems and techniques. In particular, he led the first team to explore near-infrared imaging for enhanced lung cancer detection. Another research team, comprised of Giakos’ former students, was the first in the U.S. to pioneer the introduction and characterization of CdZnTe (cadmium zinc telluride) semiconductors for flat panel x-ray displays, as applied to digital radiography, with emphasis on mammography, fluoroscopy and computed tomography (CT).

“This award offers me enormous happiness, because it is a reward of my students’ efforts to excel and become true leaders in science and the engineering profession,” Giakos said.

As a result of Giakos’ research, he has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and 10 book chapters and has received 20 patents. He has also collaborated on projects with the U.S. Air Force, NASA, the National Academy of Sciences, Lockheed Martin, Philips, University Hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic, Varian Medical Systems, and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

Giakos earned a doctorate from Marquette University and a master’s from Ohio University. He is a fellow of the IEEE.