Ken Goldberg, Kam Lau, and Felix Wu, faculty members in the UC Berkeley Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS), have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) 2026 Class of Fellows. The honor, awarded to 158 inductees this year, is among the highest professional distinctions awarded to engineers.
Goldberg, professor of EECS and industrial engineering and operations research, is recognized for contributions to practice, research and education in robotics and automation for industrial parts handling. He serves as director of Berkeley’s AUTOLab, supervising research on robotics with an emphasis on AI and robot learning. Goldberg is also a professional artist and holds an appointment at UCSF, where he conducts research in medical robotics.
Lau, professor emeritus of EECS, is cited for contributions to semiconductor lasers and radio frequency over fiber systems. His innovative research in semiconductor laser dynamics was central to enabling linear fiber-optic transmission products for Hybrid-Fiber-Coax infrastructure, widely deployed for CATV-distribution and cable modem internet access.
Wu, professor emeritus of EECS, is recognized for contributions to the development of analytical and computational methods for power system stability and security. His research interests span electric power systems analysis, generation and transmission systems planning and investment, power system control and communications, and electric energy industry restructuring.
The EECS department is shared by the UC Berkeley College of Computing, Data Science, and Society and the College of Engineering.
NAE membership honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice or education. Members are also recognized for pioneering new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing and implementing innovative approaches to engineering education. The 2026 class brings the total number of NAE members to 2,534 nationwide and 356 internationally. Inductees will be formally inducted during the NAE Annual Meeting this fall.
For additional information
- UC Berkeley News: Four Berkeley faculty elected to National Academy of Engineering
- Berkeley Engineering: Three professors named to NAE
- National Academy of Engineering: NAE elects 130 members and 28 international members
