# Abbas El Gamal

> Egyptian-American electrical engineer, educator and entrepreneur

**Wikidata**: [Q4663743](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4663743)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbas_El_Gamal)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/abbas-el-gamal

## Summary
Abbas El Gamal is an Egyptian–American electrical engineer, computer scientist, educator, and entrepreneur. He is a long‑time faculty member in the Stanford University Electrical Engineering Department, holder of the Hitachi America Professorship in the School of Engineering, and a recipient of major honors including the Claude E. Shannon Award (2012) and the IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal (2016).

## Biography
- Born: 1950-05-30, Cairo
- Nationality: United States
- Education: B.Sc., Cairo University (1972); Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Stanford University (1978)
- Known for: Academic leadership and recognized contributions in electrical engineering (awarded Claude E. Shannon Award and IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal)
- Employer(s): Stanford University (Electrical Engineering Department); University of Southern California (past affiliation)
- Field(s): Electrical engineering; computer science

## Contributions
Abbas El Gamal’s documented contributions center on academic research, teaching, and mentorship in electrical engineering and computer science. He completed doctoral research under advisor Thomas M. Cover and earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1978. As a professor in the Stanford Electrical Engineering Department, he held the Hitachi America Professorship in the School of Engineering, a named chair that indicates leadership in research and education. El Gamal has supervised multiple doctoral students—listed in records as Alon Orlitsky, Avi Ziv, Lucius James Hwang, Ali Özer Ercan, Elif Uysal-Bıyıkoğlu, and khaled Nabil Salama—contributing to the training of the next generation of researchers. His technical contributions and leadership have been recognized by major professional honors: the Claude E. Shannon Award in 2012 and the IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal in 2016, and he is an IEEE Fellow. The combination of sustained faculty leadership, mentorship, and recognition by top awards constitutes the concrete record of his impact in the public sources provided.

## FAQs
### Q: Who is Abbas El Gamal?
A: Abbas El Gamal is an Egyptian–American electrical engineer, computer scientist, university teacher, and entrepreneur. He is a professor in the Stanford University Electrical Engineering Department and holds the Hitachi America Professorship in the School of Engineering.

### Q: What are his major awards?
A: He received the Claude E. Shannon Award in 2012 and the IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal in 2016. He is also an IEEE Fellow.

### Q: Where did he study and who advised his doctoral work?
A: He earned a B.Sc. from Cairo University in 1972 and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1978. His doctoral advisor was Thomas M. Cover.

## Why They Matter
Abbas El Gamal’s significance is documented through sustained academic leadership, mentorship, and recognition by top honors in electrical engineering and information theory. Holding a named professorship (Hitachi America Professorship) at Stanford indicates a central role in research and education within a leading engineering school. His Ph.D. work under Thomas M. Cover and his supervision of multiple doctoral students—among them Alon Orlitsky—represent concrete channels by which technical ideas and research practices were transmitted to subsequent generations of scholars and practitioners. The field has formally recognized his technical and scholarly contributions through prestigious awards: the Claude E. Shannon Award (2012), which honors consistent and profound contributions to information theory, and the IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal (2016), which recognizes exceptional contributions to information sciences and systems. These honors, together with his long‑term faculty role, mark him as a figure whose work and mentorship have shaped academic research and training in electrical engineering and related areas.

## Notable For
- Recipient of the Claude E. Shannon Award (2012).
- Recipient of the IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal (2016).
- Holder of the Hitachi America Professorship in the School of Engineering at Stanford University.
- Long‑time professor in the Stanford University Electrical Engineering Department and mentor to doctoral students including Alon Orlitsky.
- Recognized as an IEEE Fellow for contributions to electrical engineering.

## Body

### Early life and education
- Born 1950-05-30 in Cairo.
- B.Sc., Cairo University, completed 1972.
- Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, completed 1978.
- Doctoral advisor: Thomas M. Cover.

### Academic appointments and roles
- Faculty member, Stanford University Electrical Engineering Department (work location: Stanford; residence recorded as Palo Alto).
- Held the Hitachi America Professorship in the School of Engineering at Stanford.
- Past affiliation includes the University of Southern California (listed as an employer in records).

### Mentorship and students
- Documented doctoral students include:
  - Alon Orlitsky
  - Avi Ziv
  - Lucius James Hwang
  - Ali Özer Ercan
  - Elif Uysal-Bıyıkoğlu
  - khaled Nabil Salama

### Honors and recognition
- Claude E. Shannon Award, 2012.
- IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal, 2016.
- IEEE Fellow (date not specified in the provided material).

### Professional identity and roles
- Occupations listed: computer scientist, electrical engineer, university teacher, academic, entrepreneur.
- Field of work: electrical engineering (also recorded under computer science).
- Professorship title: Hitachi America Professorship in the School of Engineering.

### Identifiers and selected metadata
- Birth place: Cairo.
- Citizenship: United States.
- Residence: Palo Alto.
- ISNI: 0000000030422838.
- VIAF ID: 16287386.
- Library of Congress authority ID: n87824840.
- Website: https://profiles.stanford.edu/abbas-el-gamal
- Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Stanford2010AbbasElGamal.png

(All facts above are drawn solely from the provided source material.)

## References

1. [Source](https://profiles.stanford.edu/abbas-el-gamal)
2. Mathematics Genealogy Project
3. [Source](https://www.itsoc.org/profile/8997)
4. [Source](https://www.ieee.org/content/dam/ieee-org/ieee/web/org/about/awards/recipients/hamming-rl.pdf)
5. Virtual International Authority File
6. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File