We are delighted to congratulate Professor Chen-Pang Yeang on receiving the inaugural IEEE Emerson Pugh History of Technology Book Prize.
The prize was awarded for his book Transforming Noise: A History of Its Science and Technology from Disturbing Sounds to Informational Errors, 1900–1955 (Oxford University Press, 2023), which traces how engineers and physicists in the first half of the twentieth century reconceptualized “noise,” once understood simply as disturbing sound, into a foundational concept in information theory, signal processing, and modern data science. By examining the historical development of the techniques, methods, and worldviews that enabled this shift, the book illuminates how noise became central to today’s data-rich world.
Established through a gift from the estate of former IEEE President Emerson Pugh, the new prize recognizes outstanding scholarship in the history of IEEE-related technologies that demonstrates both historical depth and technical insight. Professor Yeang described the award as an honor recognizing his effort to write an interdisciplinary history with both historical and technical depth.
We warmly congratulate Professor Yeang on this significant international recognition.
For more information about the award and the IEEE History Center announcement, please read this article.