Shur was recognized by the Humboldt Foundation for his past accomplishments in research and teaching. He is internationally known for his research in novel semiconductor devices and integrated circuits, including collision-less transport in very small semiconductor devices and wide-band-gap semiconductor devices. He is listed as one of the most quoted researchers in his field.
Shur's long and successful teaching career began in the mid-1970s. Many of his graduate students have received academic awards, including professional society awards and several Rensselaer awards.
He has had grants and contracts from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, DARPA, Army Research Office, and from companies and government laboratories.
Shur has a doctorate in physics and doctorate in physical and mathematical sciences from the A.F. Ioffe Institute of Physics and Technology in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 1994, the Saint Petersburg State Technical University awarded him an honorary doctorate.
He is a fellow of the IEEE and the American Physical Society, and a member of the Electron Device Society, the Electrochemical Society, and the Electromagnetic Academy, among others. He is on the editorial board of and is the current editor of the International Journal of High-Speed Electronics and Systems.
Shur has organized several international workshops and symposia on wide-band-gap semiconductor and electronics research. He has more than 700 technical publications, has written 19 books, and holds 25 patents on solid-state devices.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1824, is the nation's oldest technological university. The school offers degrees in engineering, the sciences, information technology, architecture, management, and the humanities and social sciences. Institute programs serve undergraduates, graduate students, and working professionals around the world. Rensselaer faculty are known for pre-eminence in research and teaching. The Institute is especially well known for its success in the transfer of technology from the laboratory to the marketplace so that new discoveries and inventions benefit human life, protect the environment, and strengthen economic development.