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University of New Mexico awards honorary doctorate to Nasir Ahmed
Ahmed, who helped invent key video and photo tech, is one of three people receiving honorary degrees from UNM.
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Bhavana P - Mon, 12, May 2025
- 12:50 EDT
- 55
Nasir Ahmed / University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico (UNM) will award an honorary doctorate to Indian-origin professor Nasir Ahmed at at its Spring 2025 undergraduate commencement ceremony on May 17.
Ahmed, who will receive an honorary doctor of Science, is a professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering at UNM. He earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from UNM in the 1960s.
Also read: Rajiv Vinnakota to receive Rutgers University honorary degree
He is best known for developing the discrete cosine transform (DCT) in the early 1970s, an algorithm that laid the foundation for digital image compression — enabling the JPEG format and videoconferencing technology.
Following his graduation, Ahmed worked at Honeywell before joining Kansas State University as a professor. He returned to UNM in 1983, serving in several leadership roles, including department chair, associate provost for research, and dean of Graduate Studies until his retirement in 2001. He also served as a consultant for Sandia National Laboratories.
Ahmed’s work received renewed attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the NBC show This is Us spotlighted his role in developing technology critical to remote communication. Now retired and residing in Argentina with his wife Esther, Ahmed's recognition celebrates decades of innovation and public service.
Honorary degrees at UNM are awarded to individuals whose contributions align with the university’s mission of academic excellence and societal impact.
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