Victor B. Lawrence is a professor at Stevens Institute of Technology and former Vice President of Advanced Technologies at Bell Laboratories. Over his 50-year career, he made significant contributions to modem design, DSL technology, ATM and IP switching, digital video and audio, and submarine fiber optic cables. In the 1970s, Dr. Lawrence revolutionized digital filter design, inventing bias-less rounding arithmetic used in DSP chips to stabilize filters. His work helped transition communications from analog to digital, laying the groundwork for the digital signal processing field.

Dr. Lawrence played a key role in telecommunications, enabling high-speed data transmission and shaping the development of the Internet and mobile technologies. He was the first to demonstrate full-duplex data modems over international networks, influencing ITU standards. He also led the development of digital video technologies and HDTV, creating chipsets used in TVs, laptops, and smartphones. Furthermore, he directed the development of the U.S. Government’s Future Secure Voice System, used for presidential communications. Since 1995, Dr. Lawrence has worked to expand fiber optic connectivity to Africa. He holds 50 patents, has authored over 100 papers, and received numerous awards, including the 2024 National Medal of Technology and Innovation - the nation’s highest honors for exemplary achievements and leadership in science and technology. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of IEEE and AT&T Bell Laboratories