Gilbert Amelio Ph.D.

B.S. Physics 1965
M.S. Physics 1967
Ph.D. Physics 1968

2026 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner

School of Physics

Triple Jacket Gilbert (Gil) Amelio has achieved several business, scientific, and technological successes, including orchestrating the transformation of several Fortune 500 companies. He has served as the CEO and chairman of Apple Computer; the president, CEO, and chairman of National Semiconductor; and the president of Rockwell Communication Systems, a unit of Rockwell International. In 1998, Amelio moved into venture capital, leading companies such as Sienna Ventures, Acquicor Technology, Inc. (which became Jazz Technologies, Inc.,) 5Barz International, AirWire Technologies, ESS Technology, and XOTV.

Currently, Amelio is the co-chairman of the board of Safe Dynamics, a communications safety company based in San Diego, and Cubera International, a big data company based in the USA and India.

Prior to his management career, he was a successful technologist. He is responsible for the development of the first practical charge coupled (CCD) image sensor, which is used today to register images in consumer camcorders, professional video cameras, digital still cameras and in astronomical and other equipment. The CCD is the eyeball of the Hubble Space Telescope and is used extensively at observatories around the world.

Amelio is a former director and chairman of the Semiconductor Industry Association and has served on the Board of Governors of the Electronics Industries Association and as a member of the executive committee of the Business and Higher Education Forum. From 1996 to 2009, Dr. Amelio served as an advisor to the Malaysia Multimedia Super Corridor and to the prime minister of the country. His current and past directorships also include 18 years on the Board of AT&T Inc., InterDigital, Inc., Galectin Therapeutics Inc., Chiron Corp., Sematech, and the the American Film Institute. At Georgia Tech, he served on the Georgia Tech Advisory Board, including one term as chairman.

He is an IEEE Fellow and has been awarded 17 patents. Amelio has also been the recipient of numerous awards including the Florida International University (FIU) Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the Georgia Tech Business Achievement Award, the National Management Association's Silver Knight of Management Award, the Masara Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award from the country of Japan and the Albert Einstein Award from the country of Israel.