Few professors have a resume as long and distinguished as Dr. Allen Katz of Electrical and Computer Engineering. In addition to his 52 years as a professor at TCNJ, he is also the founder of Linearizer Communications Group, a major communications technology manufacturer that was just recently acquired by MACOM for almost $50 million, and a co-founder of the Trenton Computer Festival, the world’s longest running tech fair.
Dr. Katz has “personally touched the lives of somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 engineering students who have gone on to do great things in the world,” said TCNJ President Kathryn Foster at a recent event commemorating Dr. Katz’s accomplished tenure.
Those who have had Dr. Katz as a professor during that time emphasized his dedication to the success of students.
“Across the years, Dr. Katz has become my mentor and friend,” said Wally McLeod ’77. “He was always willing to sit and talk about any engineering problem.”
Dr. Katz’s connection to Linearizer has also been beneficial to TCNJ Engineering students, who are often hired by the company after graduation.
“Half the people that work for him are graduates of TCNJ,” joked Tom Krol ’02, adding that Dr. Katz’s success as an entrepreneur inspired him to start his own business while at TCNJ.
Dr. Katz continues to touch the lives of current TCNJ students, including junior Electrical and Computer Engineering student Ricky Mariani.
“He’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met,” said Mariani. “He’s really caring about his students, and he’ll take time out of his day to help you with whatever you need.”
Congratulations to Dr. Katz on his remarkable career, and here’s to many more successful years at TCNJ!
-Matthew Kaufman ’25