Cherry Murray
Science and Technology for Future Communications Networks
Thursday November 14, 2002
Building 3 Auditorium - 3:30 PM
(Refreshments at 3:00 PM)

Dr. Cherry Murray, will present Science and Technology for Future Communications Networks. We live in an era of astounding technological transformation, the Information Revolution, that is as profound as the two great technological revolutions of the past, the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions. All around us are now-familiar communication technologies whose very existence would have seemed extraordinary a generation ago, such as cellular telephones, the optical fiber telecommunications backbone, the Internet and the World Wide Web. Bell Labs Research has a 77 year history of innovation in communications technology as well as science. Dr. Murray will discuss what the present economic and technical drivers of commercial communication networks are, some technical challenges that need to be overcome, and some of the current Bell Labs physical science and systems research in next generation communications networks including all-optical networks, ultra-broadband wireless data networks, and science in support of networks even farther in the future.

Dr. Cherry Murray, Research Strategy, Wireless and Physical Sciences Research Sr. Vice President, Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, is a physicist recognized for her work in surface physics, light scattering and complex fluids. She is best known for her imaging work in phase transitions of colloidal systems. After receiving a BS and Ph.D in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she was hired into Bell Labs as a Member of Technical Staff in 1978. She has numerous publications and two patents.

Dr. Murray was promoted to Department Head of the Low Temperature Physics Department in 1987, and served as Department Head of the Condensed Matter Physics, and then Semiconductor Physics Departments until 1997, when she was promoted to Director, Physical Research Lab. She is proud of managing the 40Gb/s electronics group and the invention and development of the optical fabric for the first all-optical crossconnect for telecommunications networks, Lucent’s Wavestar(TM) Lambda Router. Dr. Murray was promoted to Physical Sciences Sr. Vice President in April 2000 and assumed her present responsibiiities in October 2001. Dr. Murray is responsible for the strategy of all Bell Labs Research and Bell Labs Research Business Development. She manages the Wireless and Physical Research Labs and is responsible for the relationship of Bell Labs Research with Lucent’s largest business unit, Mobility Solutions. Dr. Murray spearheaded state, industry, government lab and university interest and the formation of the New Jersey Nanotechnology Consortium, a not-for-profit industry-university-government consortium for research and education in nanomanufacturing, including creation of a nanotechnology roadmap for integration of nano electrical and mechanical devices for applications to information technology and biotechnology. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Consortium.

IS&T Colloquium Committee Host: Jacqueline Le Moigne