The Technion Institute in Haifa received a large grant to open a branch in China. Image by Haaretz

The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology will receive a $50 million gift from Dr. Andrew J. Viterbi, the largest ever from an American donor.

The gift to the Haifa-based university was announced on Saturday during the Technion Board of Governor’s meeting in Israel.

Viterbi is the creator of the Viterbi Algorithm, a mathematical formula used in many of today’s mobile devices. The Viterbi Algorithm allows rapid and accurate decoding of numerous overlapping signals, helping to eliminate signal interference. The mathematical formula is used in all four international standards for digital cellular telephones, as well as in data terminals, digital satellite broadcast receivers and deep space telemetry. Other applications include voice recognition programs and DNA analysis.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

He is a co-founder of the Qualcomm Corporation. He was awarded a National Medal of Science by former President George W. Bush in 2008.

Ranked among the world’s top 10 electrical engineering departments, the Technion Faculty of Electrical Engineering has been instrumental in advancing Israel’s tech industry and transforming the country into the “Start-up Nation.”

“I am extremely proud to have my name associated with the Technion,” Viterbi said. “Technion electrical engineering graduates are in large part responsible for creating and sustaining Israel’s high-tech industry, which has been essential for Israel’s economic success.”

Viterbi, currently Presidential Chair Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering, serves as a Technion Distinguished Visiting Professor of Electrical Engineering. He first lectured at Technion in 1967, while on a sabbatical in Israel.

He and his late wife, Erna, have previously supported the university, including creating the Andrew J. and Erna F. Viterbi Chair in Information Systems/Computer Science; the Andrew and Erna Finci Viterbi Center for Advanced Studies in Computer Technology; and the Andrew and Erna Finci Viterbi Fellowship Program.

Viterbi received a Technion Honorary Doctorate in 2000, and the university’s Albert Einstein Award in 1993. He is also a member of the Technion Board of Governors.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount