Gene Frantz

Known as the "father of DSP," Frantz is a recognized leader in Digital Signal Processing technology both within Texas Instruments and throughout the industry.

His experience started most notably with the launch of the Speak & Spell learning toy. That toy was the start of a DSP revolution that would forever change the technology landscape. As Principal Fellow at Texas Instruments, Frantz was responsible for finding new opportunities and creating new businesses utilizing TI's Digital Signal Processing technology. He has been described as visionary, catalyst, enabler, teacher, mentor, seeker, and finder. A Fellow of the Institution of Electric and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), he has held 45 patents in the area of memories, speech, consumer products, and DSP.

Frantz wrote more than 50 papers and articles and has continually presented at universities and conferences worldwide. He has also been among industry experts widely quoted in the media due to his tremendous knowledge and visionary view of DSP solutions. He retired from TI on February 2, 2013 after 39 years, but it was said that "in reality, he is really starting the next phase of his career."

Frantz joined the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at Rice, where he has helped young innovators bring their ideas to market by stepping back and asking the questions to help decide what's not a good product, and then how to make a really great product. His guidance has included everything from technology to getting venture capital and product development. While he promised to remain available for the young engineers at TI to guide and encourage them, Frantz was cognizant of the need to "just move away and make sure there's room for the young kids to grow." He was quoted as saying, "My goal is to look for the next big thing, and what better place than with all those Ph.D students."

He received his B.S.E.E. from University of Central Florida in 1971, M.S.E.E. from Southern Methodist University in 1977, and M.B.A. from Texas Tech University—Rawls College of Business in 1982.