Cipriano (Pano) Santos, a senior scientist in operations research at
HP Labs, has been selected for this year's outstanding technical
achievement award by the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement
Awards Corporation (HENAAC).
Santos is widely recognized
for his expertise in mathematical optimization. His work
on resource
management and distributed computing
is a core
element of HP's Adaptive Enterprise Program, which enables
companies to easily make changes to IT infrastructures to
adapt to changing business conditions.
Santos was responsible for the first marketing
campaign optimization tool, which helps businesses identify
optimal market segmentations and campaigns. He invented an
inventory-management tool that has significantly reduced
the cost of inventory write-offs for HP.
At the same time, Santos has taken a leadership role in
bringing his knowledge of technology and the support of HP
to projects to help others. He was instrumental in a project
to simplify the transfer of money between Mexican citizens
working in the U.S. and their families back home.
He also
initiated a program to bring Latin American engineering
students to HP Labs' Palo Alto, CA, headquarters to work
as summer interns.
"He is an accomplished applied mathematician, an inventor
and a philanthropist committed to the development of Hispanic
youth," said Dick Lampman, director of HP Labs and senior
vice president for research, HP. "His technical expertise,
initiative and leadership are a tremendous asset to the future
success of HP."
Born in
Mexico City, Santos
contracted polio at the age of three. As a boy, he hoped
to be an astronaut, "but being a realistic dreamer,"
he said, "I realized it would probably be difficult to walk
on the moon in crutches."
He explored
physics and developed his math skills. "Once I became
proficient and skilled in mathematics, I began to realize
its beauty and power," he said.
He went on to obtain his Master's degree and
PhD in operations research at the University of Waterloo
in Canada and joined HP Labs in 1990. He has 17 filed
patents and is Associate Editor of the Journal of Heuristics.
He is a winner of Mexico's President's Excellence
Award.
"Pano is a highly accomplished researcher and engineer,
recognized by his colleagues at HP and in the academic community
for his contributions to the field of operations research,"
said Per-Kristian (Kris) Halvorsen, an HP vice president
and director of the Solutions and Services Research Center
at HP Labs.
"His raw talent, his accomplishments, his commitment
to help others in spite of his own physical handicap has
inspired many, and will inspire more."
Santos will receive his award during the 16th annual Hispanic
Engineer National Achievement Conference, October 7-9 in
Pasadena, CA. He will be among several scientists and
engineers recognized by the group, which aims to identify,
honor and document the contributions of outstanding Hispanic
American science, engineering, technology and math professionals.
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