October 6, 2009 – Dr. John E. Warnock is one of nine researchers who will receive the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on its scientists, engineers, and inventors. President Barack Obama will present the 2008 National Medal of Technology and Innovation at a White House ceremony October 7, 2009.

As founders of Adobe Systems, Warnock and colleague Dr. Charles M. Geschke are being recognized for their pioneering contributions that spurred the desktop publishing revolution. Together they developed the techniques, tools and approaches that revolutionized the way people create and engage with information.

“The entire U community is extraordinarily proud of the legacy of its computing pioneers,” said Michael K. Young, president of the University of Utah. “John Warnock is one of our most outstanding alumni, and continues to inspire our success in engineering and technology. He is richly deserving of this honor.”

Warnock earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in math at the University of Utah, and went on to earn his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the U. in 1969.

The University of Utah served as a remarkable incubator of emerging technology in the 1960s and 1970s. Computing pioneers like David Evans, Ivan Sutherland, Alan Kay, Nolan Bushnell, Henri Gouraud, Jim Blinn, James Clark and Ed Catmull found educational and research opportunities that fostered computer advancements that revolutionized the way people engage with the world. Graduates from the U founded or were deeply involved with a broad range of some of the most important technology-related companies of our generation, including Evans & Sutherland, Atari, and Pixar. The University continues to encourage innovation and collaborative thinking, engaging students, faculty and business leaders in conversations addressing issues of energy, sustainability, technology and personalized medicine.