Hi-Tech Leader, Mountaineer, Joseph Perl to Present Â??an Engineer’s Trek’ at Colorado State University Commencement

The Colorado State University College of Engineering Fall 2002 Commencement Ceremony will feature Mobilygen Corp. president, professor, author and mountaineer Joseph M. Perl at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 21 in the Main Ballroom of the Lory Student Center. The unique multimedia commencement presentation, An Engineer’s Trek, will feature Perl projecting images from his recent ascent of the 22,000-foot Mehra Peak in Nepal while relating his 30 years of experience as an engineer and a manager.

"There is much in common between the areas and many of the qualities needed to excel in engineering are the same as those needed to complete a successful mountaineering trek," Perl said. "Through interesting pictures and personal stories, I hope to relate to the leaders of tomorrow the importance of these qualities of teamwork, group support, task orientation and the ability to change and adapt to challenging situations."

Perl was born in Romania but grew up in Israel. According to Perl, his experiences in Israel have taught him how important creativity is to the engineering field.

"Because of the situation in Israel, engineers must be creative and open to change, and they do this very well," said Perl. "Successful engineers in the United States must also learn to be creative – they must not always think in linear terms but must let go of the ways they are accustomed to doing things and open up to new ideas and ways of improving their work."

Throughout his professional career, Perl has conducted research and lectured at a variety of universities while also working as a high-tech engineering research leader. His primary expertise is in the areas of wireless communications, digital modems architectures design, information theory applications and signal processing in various communication channels including HF, VHF, UHF and cellular. As an industry leader and manager, Perl also has gained extensive experience in management, finance, human resource management, marketing and operations.

Since July 2001, Perl has served as president and CEO of Mobilygen, a leading provider of digital multimedia technology. Perl also serves on the organization’s board of directors and as the chief wireless architect of the company.

Prior to joining Mobilygen, Perl served as president and CEO of DSP Communications until shortly before Intel Corporation purchased the company for about $1.6 billion in November 1999. Perl began with DSPC in 1990 and served in various management positions, including general manager of its Israeli subsidiary.

Before working at DSPC, Perl served as chief scientist at Tadiran Electronic Industries Digital Plant in Israel and taught Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at a number of universities including Florida State, the University of Nebraska and Tel Aviv University.

Perl earned a bachelor’s degree from The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in 1972, followed by master’s and doctoral degrees from Colorado State University in electrical engineering in 1974 and 1976.

Among his many accolades, Perl sits on the Advisory Board for the College of Engineering at Colorado State, was recipient of the distinguished Rothschild Innovation Award, is a member of the New York Academy of Sciences and a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Perl has three patents for his work, including one for a personal digital cellular telephone device. He has authored more than 35 journal and conference publications, and contributed to the book "Fuzzy Expert Systems Theory" by CRC Press.

Mobilygen is a dynamic, high-tech start-up based in Santa Clara, Calif., that specializes in digital hardware and software development.