John G. Truxal

Biography

John G. Truxal received the 1974 IEEE James H. Mulligan, Jr. Award "For pioneering the introduction of engineering concepts into the high-schools and for his outstanding textbooks and leadership in engineering education."

Truxal was born on February 19, 1924 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He received his AB degree from Dartmouth, and his B.S. and Sc.D. degrees from MIT. Truxal entered school as an English major, but his experience as a Radar Officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II shifted his interests to engineering.

In 1950, Truxal joined the faculty of Purdue University. He remained here until 1954, when he joined the faculty of the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. Truxal played several roles throughout his career at the Polytechnic. He subsequently served as professor, chair of the electrical engineering department, Dean of Engineering, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Provost. During his time at the Polytechnic, he developed an innovative honors program. Under his guidance, the faculty of electrical engineering published a series of textbooks which paved the way in curriculum development at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He also pioneered one of the the first system-engineering programs in the U.S.

Truxal was named Dean of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1972. In 1976, he returned to the classroom. One year later, he was named Distinguished Teaching Professor. For nine years, he directed the National Coordinating Center for Curriculum Development. Truxal retired in 1991 but remains active within the Stony Brook community.

In addition to the Mulligan Medal, Truxal received numerous other awards including the ISA Education Award and the Westinghouse Award, among others. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, ISA, and AAAS. He has also served on committees for NASA and the National Science Foundation. Truxal received an honorary doctorate from Purdue in 1965.

Truxal's hobbies include teaching, writing, reading, playing bridge, traveling, and ice skating.