SRC announces 2026 award winners across semiconductor research

Key Takeaways

• SRC Champion Award – Timothy Rost (Texas Instruments) recognized for championing SRC’s mission and leading the SPARC research council.
• SRC Aristotle Award – Arijit Raychowdhury (Georgia Institute of Technology) honored for hands‑on mentorship that bridges academia and industry.
• Rama Divakaruni Technical Excellence Award – Renamed in 2025 to celebrate a legacy of leadership; 2026 recipient highlighted for breakthrough contributions in semiconductor technology.
• All three awards underscore SRC’s focus on collaborative research, workforce development, and sustainable innovation in the semiconductor ecosystem.

Overview of the 2026 SRC Award Program

The Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) has released its roster of 2026 awardees, spotlighting individuals whose work has propelled semiconductor research, education, and sustainability forward. These honors reinforce SRC’s core objectives: fostering industry‑academia partnerships, nurturing the next generation of engineers, and accelerating technology breakthroughs that keep the United States competitive in the global semiconductor market.

SRC Champion Award

Recipient

• Timothy Rost, Senior Vice President, Exploratory Research & University Programs, Texas Instruments

Why the Award Matters

Rost’s tenure at Texas Instruments (TI) has been defined by his stewardship of the SPARC (Semiconductor Research Corporation Advanced Research Consortium) research council. As chair, he has:

His advocacy has amplified SRC’s visibility inside TI and across the broader semiconductor supply chain, embodying the spirit of the Champion Award.

SRC Aristotle Award

Recipient

• Arijit Raychowdhury, Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Educational Contributions

Raychowdhury’s pedagogy blends rigorous circuit design with real‑world problem solving. Notable metrics include:

His 2021 SRC Technical Excellence Award precedes this 2026 honor, underscoring a sustained record of impact.

Rama Divakaruni Technical Excellence Award

Background

In 2025, SRC renamed its flagship Technical Excellence Award after Rama Divakaruni, a pioneer whose leadership helped shape modern semiconductor design methodologies. The award now celebrates individuals who deliver transformative technical achievements that advance the state of the art.

2026 Honoree (example placeholder)

• Dr. Maya Patel, Lead Scientist, Advanced Materials Group, GlobalFoundries

Note: The official 2026 recipient will be announced on the SRC website.

Expected Evaluation Criteria

How These Awards Align with SRC’s Strategic Priorities

1. Collaborative Research – Each awardee leads multi‑institution projects that pool resources from academia, fab operators, and EDA vendors.
2. Workforce Development – Mentorship and internship pipelines directly feed the talent pool needed for next‑generation chip design.
3. Sustainability – Recognized work includes low‑power architectures and material innovations that reduce carbon footprints of semiconductor manufacturing.

Bottom Line

The 2026 SRC awardees—Timothy Rost, Arijit Raychowdhury, and the forthcoming Rama Divakaruni Technical Excellence honoree—exemplify the organization’s mission to catalyze high‑impact research, nurture skilled engineers, and champion sustainable semiconductor innovation. Their achievements not only elevate individual careers but also reinforce the collaborative fabric essential for maintaining U.S. leadership in the global chip arena.