John Barr retired from Agilent Technologies / Hewlett Packard, where he held various engineering R&D roles, including as the R&D Manager/Director for Agilent’s Wireless Semiconductor Test Solutions. John was involved in the development and design of RF and Microwave component measurement systems for R&D labs and high volume RFIC manufacturing test systems. This work in component test systems led to five patents and ten published papers.

John is a Life Fellow of the IEEE and has been active with the IEEE for many years including as 2002 Microwave Theory and Techniques Society President and is an Honorary Life Member of the MTT-S AdCom. During 2013-2014 he served on the IEEE Board of Directors and was IEEE Treasurer. Presently, he is the Chair of the IEEE Conferences Committee, and a member of the Technical Activities Board and Publication Services and Products Board. He was the 2017 IEEE Haraden Pratt Award recipient. “For sustained leadership and service across IEEE and Society levels.”

John has been involved in many IEEE conferences including as General Chair of the 2006 IEEE MTTS International Microwave Symposium, also as the General Chair of the 2012 IEEE Radio & Wireless Week. He has served as Finance Chair of IEEE Technology Time Machine 2016 & 2018 and the 2017 Fog World Congress. Additionally, has served multiple times as General Chair of (non-IEEE) Automated RF Techniques Group