 |
|
|
Pioneers in MCAD/MCAE and EDA
Location: Blogs Russ Henke |
 |
| Posted by: Russ Henke |
3/9/2007 12:00 PM |
In my first blog item on March 2, 2007, I indicated that topics related to both MCAD/MCAE and EDA would occasionally be mentioned in future blog entries. In reflecting on the current state of these two related industries, I realized that two authentic pioneers who helped advance the state-of-the-art were lost to us in recent months. Indeed, Dr. Jason R. Lemon and Dr. A. Richard Newton both passed away within a week of each other as 2006 ended and 2007 began.
Dr. Jason R. Lemon was a bona fide pioneer in Mechanical Computer Aided Engineering (MCAE). Still serving as CEO of International TechneGroup Incorporated (ITI), Milford, OH, Dr. Lemon passed away on December 27, 2006 after a decades-long battle with cancer. He was 71 years old. In addition to starting ITI in 1983, Dr. Lemon earlier founded Structural Dynamics Research Corporation (SDRC) in 1967, as an outgrowth of his work at the University of Cincinnati. SDRC was ultimately merged with UGS in 2001 and of course, SDRC technology and many SDRC people still form important pieces of UGS. In addition, many SDRC “alumni” now hold important positions across the CAD and CAE corporate world.
Dr. Lemon received his ME degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1958. He went on to Ohio State University for an MS in Mathematics in 1960 and PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 1962. After graduation, he worked full time at Cincinnati Milacron. In 1964, he left to teach and do research in mechanical engineering as a faculty member at the University of Cincinnati.
Just a quick aside here. I knew Dr. Lemon for 45 years. I first met him at Cincinnati Milacron in 1962 when I was a lowly undergrad student. Dr. Lemon (“Jack” to most of us) subsequently became my academic mentor and advisor for my MSME thesis in 1965; Jack also served on my PhD thesis committee along with major professor Dr. R. Sridhar of Cal Tech in 1968. Next, Jack lured me over to the then-20-person SDRC in 1969 and I served as SDRC president, COO and BOD member till 1982, reporting to CEO Lemon. The SDRC business grew to a profitable global business of approximately 300 people by 1982 and became an internationally recognized leader in CAE/CAD/PDM engineering and application software development. I left SDRC in mid-1982 to join Schlumberger Applicon on Route 128 in Boston, as EVP reporting to CEO Don Feddersen. So after 20 years, I lost touch with Jack’s daily activities.
Dr. Lemon’s diverse life-long experience included advanced product and manufacturing process development, together with in-depth knowledge of related application software integration. Within aerospace, automotive, electronic, mechanical, CAE/CAD/CAM/CAT, and PDI technical organizations, Dr. Lemon was internationally recognized as a leader and salesman extraordinaire. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
Only a week after Dr. Lemon’s passing, the world lost another genuine pioneer, this time in electronic design automation and integrated circuit design. Dr. A. Richard Newton, professor and dean of the College of Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, passed away on January 2, 2007, less than two months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was only 55 years old. Since I moved to Silicon Valley in 1984 and became immersed in EDA, I followed Dr. Newton’s career and contributions closely. Indeed, I have resided less than a mile from the Cal campus for the last 10 years.
In addition to his academic prowess, Dr. Newton played an active role in the EDA industry, helping to found a number of today’s design technology companies including SDA Systems (now Cadence Design Systems), Synopsys, PIE Design Systems (now part of Cadence), Simplex Solutions and Crossbow. One of Dr. Newton’s many other legacies will be the UC Berkeley-based Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS). Dr. Newton was the driving force behind the founding of CITRIS in 2001, to develop the next generation of technologies that will be critical to sustaining California's economic growth and global competitiveness and to solving society's most critical needs. Dr. Newton too will be sorely missed.
|
|
| Permalink |
Trackback |
|
|
|
|