Helped Make the First Modem

Roshan
Lal Sharma, adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University (SMU), retired
early from Collins Radio Company and Rockwell Intl. in 1984 after 32 years of
pioneering research in telecommunications and network science. He was part of a
team that developed the first commercial modem, a microprogrammable front-end, a
computer-controlled message switching system and a digital ACD system. In 1981,
Dr Sharma won the Leonardo da Vinci silver medal for being a chosen engineer of
the year for Rockwell Intl. He has bagged five US patents and published or
presented over 100 technical papers. He has conducted dozens of training courses
on network design and data communications. He co-authored the book Network
Systems in 1982 and authored the book Network Topology Optimization–The Art
and Science of Network Design in 1990. His latest book Network Design
Using Econets was published by International Thomson Computer Press in 1997.

Sharma received his BA in physics and mathematics from the Punjab University
in India and MS in physics from USC. He has lectured at many universities such
as SMU, UTD, UTA and University of Dallas’s Graduate School of Management. At
present, apart from his teaching role at SMU, he is also an independent
consultant. n