Jerome Suran

Research Expertise 
Corporate strategy, technology management, global strategy, budget control models, strategic planning, ethics

Senior Lecturer Emeritus Jerome J. Suran works at the Graduate School of Management and in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Davis. He was awarded the Doctor of Engineering, honoris causa, from Syracuse University for his pioneering work in transistor and integrated circuit technology and for the development of the General Electric Company implantable cardiac pacemaker in 1976.

At the Graduate School of Management, Suran developed and taught the capstone course on management policy and strategy and a course on managing professionals. In the College of Engineering, he developed and taught courses in microelectronic analog and digital circuits and systems. He also lectured in the Executive Program of the UC Davis University Extension. In 1986 Suran received the Magnar Ronning Award for teaching excellence in the College of Engineering, in 1990 the Teacher of the Year Award in the Graduate School of Management and in 1993 the Excellence in Teaching Award from the UC Davis University Extension. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the College of Engineering 2012.

Prior to coming to UC Davis, Suran had a 34-year career in industry, 30 years of which was with the General Electric Co., where he held several management positions, including manager of GE’s Electronics Laboratory. His last position with GE was staff executive for technology of the Technical Systems and Materials Sector, an $8 billion high technology business that included medical systems, aerospace, aircraft engines, communications, information technology and engineered materials. In this position, he was responsible for incorporating into the strategic business plans of the sector those technology trends and market requirements which impacted its strategic business units. Prior to joining GE, he held engineering positions in Motorola Inc. and in the J.W. Meaker Co.

Suran is the co-author of two books on transistor circuits and the author of over 50 papers in professional journals. He holds 19 patents and is a registered engineer in New York and Connecticut. He has served as a nonresident instructor of MIT and as an adjunct professor at Syracuse University. He was elected a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering; elected to Eminent Engineer in Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society; and elected to Eminent Member in Eta Kappa Nu, the electrical and computer engineering honor society. Suran is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). In 1979 he was elected President of the IEEE, the world’s largest technical society with a worldwide membership of over 350,000. In 2000 he was awarded the IEEE Third Millennium Medal for outstanding achievements and contributions to the profession. In 2003, on its 50th anniversary, he was honored as one of the founding pioneers of the IEEE International Solid State Circuits Conference. He is a trustee emeritus of the UC Davis Foundation Board, and is active on several professional committees. He is a veteran of the Second World War, having served in combat with the U.S. infantry in the European theater of operations.

Suran received a BSEE from Columbia University.