Rafael C. Gonzalez

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Rafael C. Gonzalez

Professor Emeritus, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Education

  • B.S. 1965, Electrical Engineering, University of Miami
  • M.E. 1967, Electrical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville
  • Ph.D. 1970, Electrical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville

In 1970, Gonzalez joined the electrical and computer engineering department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In 1984, he was named a Distinguished Service Professor. He also served as head of the electrical and computer engineering department from 1994 to 1997.

In 1982, Gonzalez founded Perceptics Corporation, which became highly successful in image processing, computer vision, and laser disk storage technologies. Perceptics introduced the world’s first commercially available computer vision system for automatically reading the license plate on moving vehicles; a series of large-scale image processing and archiving systems used by the U.S. Navy to inspect the rocket motors of missiles in the Trident II Submarine program; the market leading family of imaging boards for advanced Macintosh computers; and a line of trillion-byte laser disk products. In 1992, Westinghouse acquired Perceptics.

Gonzalez is frequently sought to consult both industry and government in the areas of pattern recognition, image processing, and machine learning. Gonzalez is co-holder of two U.S. patents and has been an associate editor of the IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, and the International Journal of Computer and Information Sciences. He is the author or co-author of over 100 technical articles, two edited books, and four textbooks. His books are used in over 1,000 universities and research institutions throughout the world. His academic awards include the 1977 Tickle College of Engineering Faculty Achievement Award, the 1978 Chancellor’s Research Scholar Award, the 1980 Magnavox Engineering Professor Award, and the 1980 M.E. Brooks Distinguished Professor Award. In 1981, he was named an IBM Professor. He was named an IEEE Fellow in 1984, received the 1987 IEEE Outstanding Engineer Award for Commercial Development in Tennessee, and received the 1992 IEEE Region 3 Outstanding Engineer Award. In 1988, he received the Albert Rose National Award for Excellence in Commercial Image Processing. A year later, he received the B. Otto Wheeley Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer and the Coopers & Lybrand Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Gonzalez also received the 1993 Automated Imaging Association National Award for Technology Development.