Tanik Named Wallace R. Bunn Chair of Telecommunications Earlier this year, the University Of Alabama System Board Of Trustees appointed Murat M. Tanik, Ph.D., to the Wallace R. Bunn Chair of Telecommunications in the UAB School of Engineering. Tanik began his career doing telecommunications research before he moved into academia. As the Bunn Chair of Telecommunications, he aims to develop and strengthen the integrated systems that are at the heart of 21st-century technology.
TANIK JOINED the Department of
munications firm that designed and
Analytics Laboratory.” Additionally,
Electrical and Computer Engineering
produced both short-wave radio
the Continuous Collaboration STEM
in 1998 and was named chair of the
equipment as well as equipment for
Innovation (C²-STEM-I) Laboratory
department in 2013. He is the third
the AM radio industry.
will be supported by these labs.
person to hold the Bunn chair, which
Tanik says he plans to use the
“Through these laboratories, we
was established by a gift from
Bunn chair to promote the UAB
will be able to provide services to
BellSouth in 1988.
Center for Integrated Systems. “As
the community and to the univer-
we establish collaborations with
sity,” says Tanik. “I think that is an
this prestigious appointment,” says
different parts of the university and
important part of the Bunn chair
SOE Dean Iwan Alexander, Ph.D.
with outside industry, integrated
responsibility.”
“With his years of expertise in tele-
systems will be increasingly impor-
communications research and his
tant,” Tanik says. “This
leadership abilities, he will be able to
center will facilitate the
use this position to create opportuni-
development of bet-
WHO WAS WALLACE BUNN? Wallace
ties for collaboration within the uni-
ter integrated systems
Raikes Bunn (1922-2011) worked for the Bell
versity and with external partners.”
that will allow greater
System—which included the BellSouth
A native of Izmir, Turkey, Tanik
collaboration among
Corporation—for 43 years before he retired
received his B.S. degree in math-
disciplines, and UAB is
in 1984. During that time, he held 20 differ-
ematics and electrical engineering
one of the best places
ent jobs in 14 cities. He was inducted into
from the Middle East Technical
on earth to do it”
the Alabama Business Hall of Fame in 1997
University before moving to the
Within the cen-
and the Birmingham Business Hall of Fame
“Murat Tanik is the perfect fit for
in 1998.
United States, where he earned a
ter, Tanik says he
master’s degree in computer sci-
is developing two
ence and a Ph.D. in computer engi-
laboratories with
Foundation’s Board of Directors, which
neering, both from Texas A&M.
industry support: “the
was charged with overseeing a $35-mil-
He would go on to begin a
Signal Processing and
lion endowment dedicated to supporting
career in research with Arthur A.
Embedded Systems
education. From that endowment, the board
Collins, who founded Collins Radio
Laboratory” and “the
donated $600,000 toward the School of
Company—an innovative telecom-
Big Data Research and
Engineering’s first endowed chair.
7 UAB ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • FA L L 2 014
In 1988, Bunn served on the BellSouth