The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has just announced the election of 66 new members and 10 foreign associates, including a number of esteemed computing researchers. Among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer, “Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to ‘engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature,’ and to the ‘pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education’.”

This year’s new members in Section 5 — Computer Science and Engineering are (following the link):

» Read more: NAE Elects its Class of 2012

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) named the winners of its 2012 Charles Stark Draper and Bernard M. Gordon Prizes yesterday, honoring the pioneers of the LCD and those who architected Harvey Mudd College’s engineering design curriculum, respectively.

According to the NAE, the Draper Prize — honoring “those engineers whose accomplishment has had a significant impact on society by improving the quality of life, providing the ability to live freely and comfortably, and/or permitting the access to information” — went to George H. Heilmeier, Wolfgang Helfrich, Martin Shadt, and T. Peter Brody ”for their efforts in the engineering of the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) that is utilized in billions of consumer devices” today.

From the NAE announcement:

» Read more: NAE Names 2012 Draper, Gordon Prize Winners

ACM is out with its 2011 Fellows, 46 of its members from universities, corporations, and research labs being recognized ”for their contributions to computing that have provided fundamental knowledge to the computing field and generated multiple technology advances in industry, commerce, healthcare, entertainment, and education.” They join a distinguished set of colleagues honored since 1993.

Check out the 2011 Fellows and their contributions to the field after the jump…

» Read more: ACM Names Its 2011 Fellows