Innovation that Connects 150 Years: Celebrating AT&T Fellows

When I think about AT&T’s 150-year legacy of connecting people and possibilities, I don’t just picture networks and devices. I see the ideas, the breakthroughs, that expanded what humans can do, how quickly we can do it, and who we can reach when it matters most.

For generations, AT&T has helped shape local and long-distance telephony, motion pictures, computing, the cable industry, wireless, and broadband. We’ve supported the nation in moments of peace and conflict, and we’ve collaborated with partners across industries and around the world to move technology forward.

Innovation isn’t a single chapter in our history; it’s part of our operating system. That’s why celebrating 150 years of connecting matters. We don’t honor the past by pausing, we use it as a launchpad for what’s next: building new capabilities, solving hard problems, and raising the bar for how people communicate.

Progress happens because people are willing to ask better questions, test smarter ideas, and persist when the answer isn’t obvious. Innovation takes curiosity, rigor, and the courage to iterate.

Last night at a ceremony in Dallas, we held the 2025 Technical Awards Ceremony where the following individuals were named AT&T Fellows:

  • Abhay Dabholkar
  • Yupeng Jia
  • Vladislav Shkapenyuk
Innovation that Connects 150 Years: Celebrating AT&T Fellows

I’m proud to recognize AT&T Fellows from prior years. The Fellow distinction is a prestigious honor, awarded to individuals who’s sustained, lifetime contributions have significantly advanced AT&T and the telecommunications industry. They are leaders whose work has made a lasting impact on our business, the industry, and most importantly, people’s lives. This list reflects our Fellows over the years beginning in 1996.

2024

  • Wenjie Zhao
  • Carsten Lund
  • Preet Ahluwalia

2023

  • Dr. Sheldon Meredith
  • Eddy Barker

2022

  • Divish Srivastava

2021

  • Yulong (Larry) Zhou
  • Balachander Krishnamurthy
  • Brian K. Daly

2020

  • Neeti Tandon
  • Michael Prise
  • Stephen Blust

2019

  • Carolyn Johnson

2018

  • Kevin D’souza
  • Arunabha Ghosh
  • Chris Volinsky

2017

  • Ryan Redfern
  • Kathy Meier- Hellstern
  • Scott Laster

2016

  • C. Brian Rexroad
  • Brian Freeman
  • Martin Birk

2011/2012

  • Jennifer Yates
  • Oliver Spatscheck
  • Terry Figurelle
  • David Applegate

2010

  • Edward J. Amoroso
  • Theodore Johnson
  • Mikkel Thorup

2009

  • Pamela Zaye
  • Gagan L. Choudhury

2008

  • John Medamana
  • Paul S. Henry
  • Richard A. Becker

2007

  • Walter Willinger
  • Stephen C. North
  • Gerald M. Karam
  • Nicholas G. Duffield
  • Christoper J. Chase

2006

  • Samir S. Saad
  • Kadangode K.Ramakrishnan
  • Rick Greer
  • David Belanger

2005

  • Jay G. Wilpon
  • David S. Johnson
  • James Gallagher

2004

  • Irwin Gerszberg 

2003

  • Mike Wish

2002

  • Han Q. Nguyen
  • Albert G. Greenberg

2001

  • Shui Yee Lee
  • John Sinclair Huffman
  • Kenneth W. Church

2000

  • Simon Zelingher
  • Elaine Weyuker
  • Daryl Pregibon
  • Alexander Fraser
  • Thomas Darcie
  • Robert Calderbank
  • Ahmet Arslan

1999

  • Nelson Sollenberger
  • Hsin-Kuo Kan
  • Glenn Fowler
  • Hossein Eslambolchi

1998

  • Neil J.A. Sloane
  • Peter Shor
  • Barry G. Haskell
  • Larry J. Greenstein
  • Steven M. Bellovin

1997

  • Patricia E. Wirth
  • Ward Whitt
  • Robert Tkach
  • Vikram Saksena

1996

  • Roy P. Weber
  • Pramod Warty
  • Kiem-Phong Vo
  • Gregg Vesonder
  • Peter D. Ting
  • Bjarne Stroustrup
  • Dale E. Stone
  • Richard R. Shively
  • Daniel Sheinbein
  • Peter K. Runge
  • Robert C. Restrick
  • Lawrence R. Rabiner
  • Andreas Papanicolaou
  • Robert R. Miller
  • James J. Mansell
  • David Maher
  • John J. Lawser
  • David G. Korn
  • Steven S. Katz
  • Thomas S. Giuffrida
  • William E. Goodson
  • Charles W. Flink II
  • William Daumer
  • Neal S. Bergano
  • Bishnu Atal
  • Gerald R. Ash
  • John Abate

The individuals listed above have made significant contributions to the advancement of science and technology, shaping innovations that impact our daily lives.

If you want to see where our legacy is heading, look to the people behind the breakthroughs because they’re the ones building what comes next.

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About The Author

I am the owner of Cerebral-overload.com and the Verizon Wireless Reviewer for Techburgh.com. My love of gadgets came from his lack of a Nintendo Game Boy when he was a child . I vowed from that day on to get his hands on as many tech products as possible. My approach to a review is to make it informative for the technofile while still making it understandable to everyone. Ben is a new voice in the tech industry and is looking to make a mark wherever he goes. When not reviewing products, I is also a 911 Telecommunicator just outside of Pittsburgh PA. Twitter: @gizmoboaks