Eric Fossum Honored at 2026 Draper Prize Award Ceremony

Pictured l to r: Doug Van Citters '99 Th'03 Th'06, interim Thayer dean, Professor Eric Fossum, and Joe Helble, former Dartmouth provost and Thayer dean, and now President of Lehigh.

Fossum is now one of 62 engineers to have received this honor, considered one of the highest prizes in engineering. Awardees of the Draper Prize receive a $500,000 cash award, a commemorative medallion, and a certificate. 

Tsu-Jae Liu, president of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), kicked things off at the award ceremony: "Tonight we celebrate the accomplishments of one engineering pioneer, Dr. Eric Fossum ... Eric, we are so honored to have such a gifted engineer in our presence tonight as we recognize your remarkable impact on modern imaging."

Liu introduced the event's special guest, acclaimed screenwriter, playwright, and producer Beau Willimon. The creator of Netflix's House of Cards and Hulu's The First, Willimon wrote on both seasons of Andor and served as executive producer on season two of Severance. He also co-wrote The Eyes of March, and later wrote Mary Queen of Scots. A recipient of Academy Award, Emmy, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominations, Willimon is also a former president of the Writers Guild of America East and co-founder of Westward Productions.

Among Willimon's remarks were: "I come from the world of film and television ... Like so many creative industries, everything we do rests on a foundation of engineering innovation. ... Eric Fossum's invention fundamentally changed how stories are captured and shared. ... It enabled lightweight digital cameras on sets, drones out in the field, new shooting styles, and unprecedented creative freedom. It also made it much easier for storytellers around the world to pick up a device, capture a moment, and reach an audience ... whether it be a large-scale production, a low-budget indie film, or on-the-ground journalistic reportage. ...

"Dr. Fossum's important work is one of the rare breakthroughs that changes the language of storytelling itself. What began as an effort to help NASA explore space now powers the way we explore human experience on screen. ... That is the remarkable reach of engineering at its best. It expands what is possible across disciplines. And in this case, it helps us tell the human story in ways that we never could have before. Dr. Fossum, on behalf of storytellers everywhere, thank you."

Next to speak was Amy Hart, vice president of contracts at Draper: "CMOS image sensor technology is now used in almost all cell phone cameras as well as devices for manufacturing and scientific imaging, medical instruments, and automotive safety systems. It's estimated that more than seven billion CMOS image sensors were shipped worldwide in 2024. After leaving JPL and contributing to the commercialization of CMOS image sensors, Dr. Fossum continued to innovate by applying his knowledge to the development of 3D and photon-counting image sensors that enable high-resolution imaging in extremely low-light conditions. His innovations have produced dramatic improvements in what active pixel sensors can deliver and brought digital imaging to the masses."

Liu then returned to the stage to introduce a video presentation: "Let's take a look at the legendary engineer behind this prize, 'Doc Draper,' and Dr. Eric Fossum."

Alton Romig Jr., NAE executive officer, introduced the formal presentation of the award: "Eric is a pioneering semiconductor device physicist and engineer whose invention transformed modern imaging. His breakthrough invention emerged from his work at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and he later co-founded Photobit to commercialize the technology. ... More recently, Eric developed the quantum image sensor, and co-founded Gigajot to bring it to market. Notably, CMOS cameras based on his invention flew aboard NASA's 2020 Mars Perseverance mission on the rover and on the Ingenuity helicopter."

After accepting the award, Fossum delivered his own remarks. Among these were expressing his gratitude "to my fellow image sensor technologists around the world that have, over the past 30 years, made this NASA technology bigger than Tang."

Fossum continued, "…I want to talk about a few ways I wound up here. First on my mind is experiential learning, hands-on learning. In middle school, I was given an opportunity to attend a Saturday program at the Talcott Mountain Science Center in Avon, Connecticut. And I cannot tell you how much this experience shaped my future. This relatively small program, which served local Connecticut schools, focused on hands-on student involvement in the study of science. 

"…I've remained involved and connected to the science center right up till today. In essence, it's part of the national STEM pipeline for the next generation. The US is big on athletic pipelines for our youth from little leagues, baseball, soccer, basketball, ice hockey, just to name a few. But we need to be big, very big on STEM pipelines, too. STEM may not be a match for every child, granted, but it's in the national interest to provide every child with such an experiential learning opportunity, just like we do with sports. And it's best done by letting them experience the cool and creative stuff about science and engineering in a personal hands-on way. Programs developed by the NAE, DiscoverE, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame such as Camp Invention are great models of such energizing and effective engagement.

"So, how can we further scale this STEM escalator so children of all backgrounds in America get a taste of hands-on STEM at a formative age? Because we cannot afford to let them slip by. ... My wife of nearly twenty-two years, Susan Fossum, is a former science teacher ... and we are happy to report that much of this generous prize will be used to support programs at the National Academy of Engineering and the Inventors Hall of Fame that strengthen the STEM escalator."

Watch the full award ceremony: