UWM alumnus Satya Nadella (’90 MS Computer Science) and Michael Dell were recently awarded the 2026 National Medals of Technology and Innovation by U.S. President Donald Trump. The award is the highest honor the president can bestow for technological achievement.
Nadella, the Chairman and CEO of Microsoft, was recognized for “his transformative leadership of a critical American technology company, which led to its rejuvenation for a new era of cloud computing” and for “his construction of the hyperscale infrastructure that enabled the training and global deployment of American super intelligence.”
“Each of these medalists has transformed their field or industry, laying the foundations for technologies we already can barely imagine living without,” said Michael Kratsios, Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
“While we in government work to deliver the efforts a New Golden Age of Science will require, we know that scientific progress and technological innovation depend on the insight and character of individuals. Innovators like these six awardees are the architects of the future.”