Dr. Alan Willner

Professor

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Biography

Alan Willner received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University in 1988 and has had a distinguished career in the field. He is the Andrew Erna Viterbi Professorial Chair and a Distinguished Professor in the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Southern California. His professional experiences include being a postdoctoral member at AT&T Bell Laboratories and technical staff at Bellcore. Willner has held various prestigious positions including Visiting Professor at Columbia University and the Weizmann Institute of Science. Actively involved in the scientific community, he has served on several boards and committees, including the U.S. Army Science Board and the Defense Sciences Research Council. Willner has also founded and served as CTO of Phaethon Communications, which focused on advanced optical communication technologies. He has authored over 1450 publications including books, patents, and journal papers and has made significant contributions to the fields of optical communication systems, optical signal processing, and optical sensing.

Research Interests

Experience

Distinguished Professor

2000-01-01 — Present

University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA

Serves as a Distinguished Professor at the Andrew Erna Viterbi Professorial Chair in the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Member Technical Staff

— Present

AT&T Bell Laboratories •

Worked as a member of the technical staff, contributing to advancements in electrical engineering.

Founder and CTO

— Present

Phaethon Communications •

Founded and served as CTO of Phaethon Communications, a company focused on optical technology.

Awards

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Ellis Island Medal of Honor

2020-01-01
#

USC Viterbi School of Engineering Senior Research Award

2019-01-01
#

Thomas Egleston Medal for Distinguished Engineering Achievement

2017-01-01
#

Honorary Professor

2016-01-01

Requirements for University of Southern California

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Listening
Required:20
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:6.5
GRE General
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Math, or Hard Science
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Official transcripts
  • Personal Statement
  • Resume/CV
  • Letters of Recommendation (not required for MS CS, but allowed)
Specialization Notes

GRE is NOT required for Master's applicants for 2025-2026.