May 2, 2017   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Janet Olson to Receive Marie R. Pistilli Women in Engineering Achievement Award

Janet Olson, vice president of engineering for RTL Synthesis R&D at Synopsys, Inc., has been selected as the recipient of the Marie R. Pistilli Women in Engineering Achievement Award for 2017.

Janet Olson has been invaluable in leading a global team of more than 100 people to enable the world’s top IC suppliers to achieve fast time to market for their digital products. In addition to leading one of Synopsys’ flagship and largest products, Janet has been active in engaging and advancing women within the electronic design automation (EDA) industry. Her work has advanced the field of logic synthesis, resulting in innovative and patented technology to resolve congestion, minimize power/timing/area, and improve routability. Most recently, she led her team to develop and deliver Synopsys Design Compiler® Graphical and Explorer solutions.

Janet is named as the co-inventor on three U.S. patents and has four patents pending for design-for-test (DFT) synthesis technology and novel RTL synthesis techniques. Active in promoting women in engineering, Janet participates in diversity panels and recruiting events for women, and she actively mentors emerging talent in the EDA industry. This is not the first time Janet has been recognized for her leadership; she was also presented with the Synopsys Excellence Award in 2007.

“Janet’s achievements and contributions to our industry placed her a cut above a very competitive pool of nominees for this year’s award,” said OneSpin’s McKenzie Ross, chair of the Worldwide Women in Electronic Design (WWED) committee for the 54th DAC. “She is an inspiration to women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) everywhere, and I know that I speak for the DAC Executive Committee, our WWED committee members and everyone in the semiconductor community when I offer Janet my heartiest congratulations on this prestigious and well-deserved achievement.”

Janet Olson does not limit herself to effecting change in the semiconductor industry. She is dedicated to several charitable organizations, including the Second Harvest Food Bank and the Special Olympics. She is a long-time Girl Scout leader and American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) board member. In recognition of her contributions to her community, Janet received the YWCA Silicon Valley Tribute to Women Award in 2015.

Prof. Giovanni De Micheli, director of the Institute of Electrical Engineering Integrated Systems Laboratory (ISL), submitted a letter in support of Janet’s nomination for the Marie R. Pistilli Award and eloquently summed up her qualifications: “I cannot think of a better person to receive such an ambitious award. Janet combines the skills of a scientist with those of an executive, and she has proven to be successful in both areas. Her leadership and products have shaped and are shaping the EDA and broader semiconductor landscapes.”

More About Janet Olson

Janet holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

About the Marie R. Pistilli Women in Engineering Achievement Award

Women have made important contributions and strides in the semiconductor industry for over 20 years. To recognize those who have dedicated time and effort toward these achievements, the Design Automation Conference (DAC) Executive Committee presents an annual award to honor an individual who has made significant contributions to help women advance in the field of EDA technology. The award is named for DAC’s former organizer, the late Marie Pistilli, who worked hard to further the advancement of women in engineering. Marie passed away in November 2015, but her memory and her legacy live on through her namesake award.

The Marie R. Pistilli Women in Engineering Achievement Award will be presented to Janet Olson during the 54th DAC General Session Awards presentation, Monday, June 19, 2017 at the Austin Convention Center, Austin, TX.

For a list of previous recipients of the award and to obtain details about how to nominate a candidate for 2018, please visit https://dac.com/content/women-electronic-design.

About DAC

The Design Automation Conference (DAC) is recognized as the premier event for the design of electronic circuits and systems, and for electronic design automation (EDA) and silicon solutions. A diverse worldwide community of more than 1,000 organizations attends each year, represented by system designers and architects, logic and circuit designers, validation engineers, CAD managers, senior managers and executives as well as researchers and academicians from leading universities. Close to 60 technical sessions selected by a committee of electronic design experts offer information on recent developments and trends, management practices and new products, methodologies and technologies. A highlight of DAC is its exhibition and suite area, with approximately 200 of the leading and emerging EDA, silicon, and intellectual property (IP) companies and design services providers. The conference is sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the Electronic System Design Alliance (ESDA), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and is supported by ACM's Special Interest Group on Design.

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