Steps Down as IEEE SSIT Secretary after Sixteen Years of Service in the Role
Was 2008 IEEE President, and 2016 Recipient of the Brian M. O’Connell SSIT Distinguished Service Award
SSIT Welcomes David Morton as Secretary
SSIT expressed gratitude at their August 2025 Board of Governors meeting to Lew Terman, who stepped down as IEEE SSIT Secretary after 16 distinguished years in the role.
IEEE SSIT President Murty Polavarapu read a proclamation at the meeting, which passed unanimously as a motion, stating:
“Whereas, Lewis F. Terman has served with exemplary commitment and outstanding leadership as Secretary of the lEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT); and
Whereas, in fulfilling these responsibilities, he has been ably and generously assisted by Barbara (Bobbie) Terman, also a valued SSIT member; and
Whereas, their combined efforts have contributed significantly to the effective governance and advancement of SSIT;
Therefore, be it resolved, that the SSIT Board of Governors expresses its deepest gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to Lewis F. Terman and Barbara (Bobbie) Terman for their outstanding service and commitment to the Society.”
Lew, who with Bobbie’s assist, has served diligently in the SSIT Secretary role since 2010, noted in remarks that when he started as Secretary, the SSIT Board met less frequently. Today SSIT is a flourishing organization with monthly virtual meeting connecting Board members internationally.
Before signing on for his marathon stint as IEEE SSIT Secretary, Terman was IEEE President in 2008.
He was widely known within and outside IEEE for his electrical engineering career and accomplishments — various SSIT BoG members referred to him as “legendary” in their remarks. He held a B.S. degree in Physics and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. He then worked at IBM for 45 years starting in 1961, retiring from IBM’s Research Division in 2006. He currently holds the title of IBM Research Emeritus. He received nine major IBM technical awards, including three corporate awards. He was elected to the IBM Academy of Technology in 1991 and served as the President in 2001-2003.
Within IEEE, Terman’s service has included President of the IEEE Electron Devices Society (1990-1991), President of the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society (1998-1999), IEEE Vice President of Technical Activities (2001), IEEE Division I Director (2004-2005), as well as IEEE President.
In 2016 Terman was recognized by SSIT with The Brian M. O’Connell Distinguished Service Award
In 2018 he was awarded the IEEE TAB Hal l of Honor for exceptional leadership of IEEE Technical Activities and expanding its suite of activities.
He also received the IEEE Richard M. Emberson Award in 2021 for contributions to and leadership of multiple lEEE technical Societies, the Technical Activities Board, and IEEE humanitarian technology activities.
He is an IEEE Fellow and Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.
David Morton, who was previously IEEE SSIT Secretary in the late 1990s, and most recently was an elected at large SSIT Board member in 2022-2024, noted that while he will have “big shoes to fill” in following Terman, “somehow I have already filled them,” referring to his earlier time 25 years ago as SSIT Secretary.
Thank you Lew, and welcome David.
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