President Bush honored UW-Madison computer science Professor Emeritus Carl de Boor and representatives from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Monday with the nation's highest awards in science and math, respectively.
De Boor was among eight national scientists receiving the National Medal of Science during the White House ceremony, while WARF was one of six recipients of the National Medal of Technology.
\All of you have been blessed with great talent and you have applied your talent to great purposes. Your work is making our country more competitive, more hopeful and more prosperous,"" Bush said before handing out the 2003 national medals.
The National Science Foundation, which sponsors the awards, recognized the inventor of Ethernet and scientists who pioneered safer aircraft and the theory of plate tectonics with medals.
De Boor himself is acknowledged for groundbreaking work in the field of splines, which are mathematical functions with broad engineering and industrial applications. He is the second UW-Madison mathematician to receive the honor, and the ninth overall UW-Madison scientist to do so according to UW Communications.
The National Science Foundation commemorated WARF for the its extensive support of transferring innovation to investment, especially at the university level.
