Steve Wozniak to present newly elevated SMPTE Fellows at Awards gala

Silicon Valley icon and renowned philanthropist Steve Wozniak will help to honor the motion-imaging industry leaders being elevated to SMPTE Fellow status at the SMPTE 2019 annual technical conference.

During the SMPTE Awards Gala on Thursday 24 October at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, Wozniak will introduce new SMPTE Fellows and present them with plaques recognising their achievements.

The honour of SMPTE Fellow is conferred on individuals who have, through their proficiency and contributions to the motion-picture, television, or related industries, attained an outstanding rank among engineers or executives in media and entertainment.

“We are thrilled to have Steve join us to honor the newest class of SMPTE Fellows,” said Pat Griffis, SMPTE president and vice president of technology, office of the CTO at Dolby Laboratories. “As one of the world’s best-known innovators in the realm of engineering, he is a wonderful fit for this celebration. I know that his participation will help make this year’s SMPTE Awards Gala a memorable event for everyone involved.”

Wozniak helped shape the personal computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products, the Apple I and II. Along with Steve Jobs, he co-founded Apple Computer Inc. in 1976.

Since then, he has been awarded the National Medal of Technology by the President of the United States, the highest honour bestowed on America’s leading innovators; the prestigious Heinz Award in the Technology, Economy, and Employment category; and the Hoover Medal, a prestigious honour given for outstanding extra-career services by engineers to humanity. Wozniak has been inducted into the IndustryWeek Manufacturing Hall of Fame and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Through the years, Wozniak has been involved in various business and philanthropic ventures, focusing primarily on computer capabilities in schools and stressing hands-on learning and encouraging creativity for students. He founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation and was the founding sponsor of the Tech Museum (now The Tech Interactive), Silicon Valley Ballet, Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, and Silicon Valley Comic Con. Wozniak’s New York Times best-selling autobiography is titled “iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon.”