Tariq S. Durrani
Biography
Tariq Durrani has served IEEE for 40 years as an influential member of numerous IEEE Boards. He has made impactful contributions to the success and growth of the organization through his continued leadership and painstaking work. Durrani served as President of the IEEE Signal Processing Society (SPS), where he oversaw the growth of Society membership and helped establish the IEEE Jack Kilby Signal Processing Medal in 1995, which raised the profile of SPS internationally. In 2010, Durrani became Vice President of the IEEE Education Activities Board, where he instigated key programs that support educational needs worldwide. Among his accomplishments, he promoted the IEEE flagship portal TryEngineering.org for pre-university students, parents, and school counsellors. He also promoted and popularized the EPICS Projects, where IEEE Student Members and Young Professionals carry out life-changing projects in support of local communities across the globe. Among other key roles, Durrani served as President of the IEEE Engineering Management Society, Regional Director of the IEEE Communications Society, Chair of the IEEE Periodicals Review Committee, Vice Chair of the IEEE Publication Services and Products Board, Vice Chair of the Region 8 Technical Activities Board, and General Chair of Major IEEE Conferences. In addition, Durrani has strongly supported the development of the profession as he was instrumental in establishing the IEEE James Clerk Maxwell Medal jointly with the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2006. In 2012, he co-chaired the Advisory Board for the influential UNESCO Engineering Report on Sustainable Development and then led the 2022 IEEE delegation to the COP-26 climate change conference. This effort spawned the important IEEE Ad Hoc Committee to coordinate IEEE’s response to Climate Change and has a long-term impact on the direction of IEEE on decarbonization and climate change.
An IEEE Life Fellow, Durrani is Research Professor, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland and the 2024 recipient of the IEEE Haraden Pratt Award for "sustained leadership and outstanding contributions to the IEEE in education, technical activities, awards, and global connections."
