BOWLING GREEN, Ky. —  Connected Nation’s board member, and retired World Ahead, Intel Corp., vice president, John Davies, was elected to the exclusive National Academy of Engineering (NAE).

“This honor is among the highest of professional distinctions that is accorded an engineer, but it is no surprise to us that John was elected to the academy,” said Tom Ferree, chairman & CEO, CN. “John has long been on the forefront of technology — first as a World Trade Postdoctoral Fellow at IBM and a development engineer at Phillips in the United Kingdom and, later, as a leader within the Intel Corp. in the U.S., where he was awarded two prestigious Individual Achievement Awards. More specifically, John’s leadership of Intel’s World Ahead program and his service on the International Telecommunications Union has had immeasurable impact on empowering individuals and whole communities in developing countries around the globe. As one of our most long-tenured Board members, we have been fortunate to have the benefit of his talents and these experiences to guide our organization and its mission to close the digital divide in the U.S.”

The NAE’s 2022 class includes other high-profile leaders in technology and engineering, such as Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX; Michael Watkins, the director and vice president of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and California Institute of Technology; and Satya Nadella, the chairman and CEO of Microsoft Corp. 

"It's a real honor to be elected to the National Academy of Engineering,” said Davies. “I look forward to sharing experiences with and learning from the tremendous engineering talent in and associated with the National Academy of Engineering."    

“Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to engineering literature and to the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education,” according to the group.

The newest members elected to the NAE will formally be inducted during the Academy’s annual meeting on Oct. 2.