Keynote Speaker
Ed McCracken holds a bachelor of science in electrical engineering (’66) from Iowa State University, and masters of business administration from Stanford University. While at Iowa State, McCracken was the first president of the Triangle Fraternity Chapter. During his early career, he spent sixteen years with Hewlett-Packard in several senior management positions. He is a retired CEO of Silicon Graphics, Inc., the company known for launching the world of “virtual reality.” His leadership at Silicon Graphics spurred the development of computers specifically designed for the creation and manipulation of 3-D images, which were used extensively in the movie and television industry, including “Forrest Gump” and “Jurassic Park.”In 1995, McCracken was named Executive of the Year by R&D magazine and was presented the National Technology Medal award by President Bill Clinton. He was also awarded the Professional Achievement Citation in Engineering Award from the Iowa State University College of Engineering, the Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Order of the Knoll Campanile Award. Since his retirement, McCracken has served on numerous boards in electronics and biotechnology.