Fittingly the Award was held during the Birr Engineering Heritage Festival at Birr Castle Demesne, ancestral home of Sir Charles Parsons, eminent Irish engineer, and namesake of this medal, who won it for his invention of the compound steam turbine.
The recipient of this year’s Parsons Medal is Dr. Ann B. Kelleher from Intel Corporation. The medal was presented to Dr. Kelleher by the Academy President and Executive and Sir Parsons’ descendant, the Earl of Rosse, Sir Brendan Parsons.
Dr. Kelleher is an Executive Vice President at Intel Corporation, where she leads Foundry Technology Development. Advancing semiconductor technology, a process known in the industry as Moore’s Law, is the core competency of Dr. Kelleher’s group at Intel Foundry. Under Ann’s leadership, her team has introduced multiple world’s first technologies to power our increasingly digital society. In the United States, Ann also serves on the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) Board of Directors, and the Industry Advisory Council for NSTC as part of the CHIPS and Science Act.
The citation was presented to Ann by Sir Parsons’ descendant, the Earl of Rosse, Sir Brendan Parsons and his daughter Lady Alicia Clements and the Academy Executive. Alicia is an aeronautical Engineer and manages the estate and gave us a tour of the visitor centre.
Speaking about why Dr. Kelleher was chosen to be the recipient of the Parsons Medal, Seamus McKeague, President of the IAE said: “The Parsons Medal recognises engineers who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of the application of engineering, science and technology that result in significant social and/or economic impact. Dr. Kelleher is this year’s recipient for her strategic leadership in the global semiconductor industry.”
In response to receiving the Parsons Medal, Dr. Kelleher said: “I am honored to receive the prestigious Parsons Medal and would like to thank the IAE for selecting me from many worthy candidates. The field of engineering has inspired me from my days as a student and semiconductor researcher in Ireland to my career at Intel. I hope that my journey can inspire others to embrace a career in engineering, both for the individual satisfaction of working on interesting problems as well as the chance to make an impact on one’s community both locally and globally.”
Before leading Foundry TD, Dr. Kelleher oversaw worldwide manufacturing operations for Intel, including Intel’s facilities in Leixlip, currently the largest and most advanced semiconductor production site in Europe.
A plaque commemorating all the Parsons medals awarded now hangs in the Birr castle visitor centre.
before the award ceremony.
