Presented by Eric Evans, Director, Lincoln Laboratory:
"Our next Unsung Hero is exactly the kind of inventor the world has come to associate with MIT. His name is Stefan Wolpert and his colleagues say no technical problem can defeat him. Wolpert is an Associate Staff Member in the Homeland Protection Systems Group at Lincoln Lab, where he is a key contributor to vital innovations in border security. His technical skills in embedded software, wireless communications, microprocessors, and low power electronics are, his colleagues say, impressive—even by MIT standards.
Stefan works nights and weekends, on airplanes and in the back seats of cars, always immersed in solving a problem. He works in all conditions and in all climates, in deep snow at the Canadian border and in blazing sun at the Mexican border.
To solve a homeland protection problem of national significance, he deployed and tested electronic prototypes underground, routinely working in pitch black, knee-deep water, muck, and debris, crawling through spaces as small as 24 inches across. Yet, because the project’s success required it, he persevered, as always, without complaint.
The technologies that Stefan is advancing are enhancing the real-world capabilities of federal law enforcement, potentially saving an untold number of lives."