John Harris joined Lincoln Laboratory in 1952 and continues to make significant technical contributions to this day. He spent many years working on radars at the Kwajalein site in the Marshall Islands and started a square dancing club while he was there.
As his nominator described it: “The first versions of some of John’s equipment filled two racks; his current designs only take one printed circuit card. He sees it as a constant challenge to incorporate the latest technique wherever possible.”
More importantly, he brings an attitude to work of enjoyment and enthusiasm, which infects everyone around him. The first day John joined the Lincoln Laboratory Space Surveillance Group in 2000, he told the leader: "I’ve worked on many of the major radars at Lincoln Laboratory, except the Millstone Hill Radar at Haystack. I am looking forward to working this one." Wouldn't it be nice if we could all have that kind of enthusiasm at our normal retirement age, much less several years after! For John's continued enthusiasm and commitment to MIT, we award him an MIT Excellence Award for Work/Life Balance.