Kenneth Wagner Biography

CRW_8680.sizedDr. Kenneth Wagner has over 25 years experience in the semiconductor industry as an engineer, researcher and manager in Silicon Valley, New York and Canada. He has been based in Canada since 2001. He was named Chairman of the Strategic Microsystems Council (www.itac.ca) and helps its member companies focus on the infrastructure to refresh microsystems and related activities in Canada. Whatever his corporate role, Ken has always been deeply involved in DFT and Test. Ken joined PMC-Sierra, Inc. in 2000 as Director of Design Services and CAD. In that role, he managed the corporate IC design infrastructure for ASIC/SOC/ASSP development. Then, as Vice-President of Engineering for the Communication Products Division, he managed the development of wireline and wireless backhaul platforms for telecommunications. Now, as a Distinguished Engineer in the IC Technology Group, he leads advanced CAD R&D, including next generation implementation methodology, low power initiatives and embedded software – to enable development and manufacture of networking and storage ICs in advanced process nodes. Ken also developed PMC’s internal procedures for coordinating silicon and software IP, services and CAD tools procurement. From 1998-2000, Ken worked for several Silicon Valley fabless IC startups directing design and implementation of video and graphics devices. At S3 from 1997-98, Ken was responsible for design and test methodologies used for PC graphics ICs. At Synopsys from 1993-96, he managed software R&D for its EDA Test and DFT products. And at IBM from 1986-93, he was a Senior Engineer in the EDA organization consulting, teaching and developing new design and DFT methodologies and software for complex ICs. Earlier in his career he designed mainframes at Amdahl and wrote business-related software. Ken is the past Editor-In-Chief of IEEE Design and Test of Computers and past Chairman of the International Test Synthesis Workshop. He holds six patents and a First Plateau Patent award from IBM Corporation as well as multiple patents from other organizations. Ken is a Senior Member of the IEEE, a Golden Core Member of the IEEE Computer Society and an IEEE CAS member. He has taught and participated in numerous graduate courses, tutorials and panels. Ken spent 1992 as an AAAS Congressional Science Fellow in Washington, DC. Ken received several scholarships including the Canada NSERC scholarship from 1979-86. Ken has also authored numerous professional publications. Ken received his MSEE and Ph.D in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. Ken is also an Adjunct Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at McGill University. He teaches and trains engineering professionals at IEEE conferences and other events. Ken can be reached at ken.wagner@pmcs.com and via LinkedIn.