Arthur Aaron Oliner was born on March 5, 1921, in
Shanghai,
China. He received an undergraduate degree from
Brooklyn College and Ph.D. from
Cornell University in 1941 and 1946 respectively, with both being in physics. In 1946, he joined
Microwave Research Institute at
New York University's school of engineering, then known as the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. In 1965, he went on to a
sabbatical at
École normale supérieure in Paris, France, under a
Guggenheim Fellowship. Becoming a full professor in 1957, Oliner acted as the head of the institute's department of electrical engineering in between 1966 and 1974. In addition, he was the director of the Microwave Research Institute from 1967 until 1982. He retired from New York University in 1990. He died on September 9, 2013, in
Lexington, Massachusetts. He was survived by two children, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild; his wife Frieda, died in 2013. Oliner was a Fellow of
AAAS and a Life Fellow of
IEEE. In 1991, he was elected to the
National Academy of Engineering for his "contributions to the theory of
guided electromagnetic waves and antennas." He was a recipient of the
IEEE Heinrich Hertz Medal (2000) and Distinguished Educator Award of the Microwave Theory and Techniques Society, of which he was an Honorary Life Member. During his career, Oliner was also employed as an engineering consultant for
IBM,
Boeing,
Raytheon Technologies,
Hughes Aircraft Company and
Rockwell International. He was the founder of Merrimac Industries, and served on its board of directors from 1962 until its acquisition by
Crane Aerospace in 2010. ==Research==