Martin Vetterli (Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne)

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Martin Vetterli - President of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne and specialist in digital signal processing and wavelet theory - received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa on the 5th October 2021.

Photo : Martin Vetterli © Francois Wavre
Martin Vetterli © Francois Wavre

Born in Solothurn on 4th October 1957, Martin Vetterli attended school and completed his studies in the canton of Neuchâtel. After a degree in electrical engineering from the Federal Polytechnical School of Zurich (ETHZ) in 1981, he graduated from the Stanford University in 1982. He then obtained his Doctorate in science at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) in 1986. After his thesis, Martin Vetterli taught at Columbia University as an assistant and then associate professor. He was then appointed ordinary professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science of the University of Berkeley in 1993.

Two years later, Martin Vetterli returned to EPFL as an ordinary professor where he directed the Laboratoire de Communications Audiovisuelles. He held the position of vice-president in charge of international relations and then institutional affairs at EPFL from 2004 to 2011, and that of dean of the Faculty of Computer Science and Communication from 2011 and 2012. At the same time, he also taught at ETHZ and Stanford University. He was appointed president of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne in 2017.

Research, collaboration, distinctions

Martin Vetterli’s research activity focuses on electrical engineering, computer science and applied mathematics. Wavelet theory, image and video compression and self-organised communication systems are some of his favourite fields. His work has earned him numerous national and international awards, including the National Latsis Prize, in 1996. Martin Vetterli has published more than 170 journal articles and is co-author of three reference books. He is also the author of some fifty patents and patent applications which have led to the creation of several startups from his laboratory, such as Dartfish or Illusonic, and to technology transfers through patent sales (Qualcomm).

The DHC for Prof. Vetterli was proposed by Mohamed Najim, emeritus professor, signal processing, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux INP (ENSEIRB-Matmeca), IMS/CNRS laboratory.