Arno Penzias began his scientific career in 1961 when he joined Bell Laboratories as a Member of Technical Staff. He conducted research in radio communication and took part in the pioneering Echo and Telstar communications satellite experiments. As a scientist, he is best known for his work in radio astronomy, winning a Nobel Prize in 1978 for research that enabled a better understanding of the origins of the universe.

He later became Chief Scientist, and continued to search for innovative ideas by visiting small companies around the country. Essential to the process of innovation, these visits often generated new opportunities for learning and new product ideas. He retired from Lucent/Bell Labs in May, 1998.

Corporate Leadership

In his management career, Dr. Penzias' innovative contributions have resulted in the restructuring of the Bell Labs Research organization, creating a novel paradigm which has proved to be effective and a model for other corporations. Dr. Penzias' vision and leadership helped to structure the realignment of Bell Labs Research from a vertically integrated structure based on classic academic disciplines to a structure that focuses on strategic emerging technologies. This revolutionary change in the Research organization is among Dr. Penzias' greatest achievements in his time running the organization.

At the core of this dramatic shift in the Research group is an increased focus on customers, coupled with Bell Labs' new emphasis on the development of commercially valuable devices and systems. Dr. Penzias explains it this way: "While we [will] continue to pursue scientific excellence in fundamental areas, most of our scientists seek breakthroughs in targeted areas." Moving into the future, Bell Labs' restructuring of research priorities under Arno Penzias has set the stage for an era of innovation in applied science that will address the changing needs of companies and society.

To learn more about Arno Penzias and his career, follow this link to his curriculum vitae, or see the chapter profile of him in Three Degrees Above Zero(Scribner, original date 1984), a book about Bell Labs' Nobel laureates. Also see Nobel Laureate Arno Penzias Retires After 37 Years at Bell Labs and Cosmology - Penzias and Wilson's Discovery is One of the Century's Key Advances.