Bill Hardgrave, executive director of the RFID Research Center at the University of Arkansas, has been awarded the Ted Williams Award from AIM Global, the international trade association representing automatic identification and mobility technology solution providers.

RFID stands for radio frequency identification, and the RFID Research Center is part of the Information Technology Research Institute housed in the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

AIM President Dan Mullen and Randy Stigall, UPM Raflatac, presented Hardgrave the award in Chicago in April. The Ted Williams Award recognizes an "educator/researcher that has made outstanding contributions to the development of automatic identification and mobility industry."

It spotlights Hardgrave's efforts to further the growth of the industry through his work as a teacher, researcher and entrepreneur. UPM Raflatac, a leading global supplier of pressure sensitive label stock and manufacturer of RFID tags and inlays, nominated Hardgrave for the award, which is selected by the vote of the AIM board of directors.

Ted Williams was an industry innovator, collaborator and long-time member of the AIM Global Technical Symbology Committee. He passed away in 2005. Williams was the inventor of the first public domain matrix symbology and developed GS1 DataBar technology that can identify small items and carry more information than a Universal Product Code barcode. His many other contributions to the advancement of the bar code industry came through his long-time membership in the symbology committee and various other committees. He is also remembered for his contribution to the development of RFID standards.
Hardgrave said, "I believe this recognition is a testament to the great work that is being done by faculty, students and staff in the Information Technology Research Institute and the RFID Research Center."

Hardgrave is also a professor of information systems, executive director of the Information Technology Research Institute, and holder of the Edwin and Karlee Bradberry Chair.

The RFID Research Center officially opened its laboratory in the Fayetteville Industrial Park in June 2005. The laboratory primarily conducts research into the most efficient use of radio frequency identification and other wireless and sensor technologies throughout the supply chain. Almost 20 corporations using RFID technology are supporting members of the research center. It is the first and only academic research laboratory accredited by EPCglobal Inc., a global not-for-profit standards organization commercializing the trademarked Electronic Product Code and RFID worldwide.

The RFID Research Center was listed by Network World in the top "10 really cool university networking labs." The article appeared Dec. 15, 2008.
In addition, RFID Journal's Watch List, "People to Watch," includes - among the eight on its list - Bill Hardgrave, director of the RFID Research Center. The list appeared in the November/December 2008 issue.

AIM is the leading authority on bar code, RFID and enterprise mobile computing. Since 1972, AIM Global has actively led the way in industry standards, education, and outreach. AIM Global is the international trade association representing automatic identification and mobility technology solution providers. Through the years, industry leaders continue to work within AIM to promote the adoption of emerging technologies. AIM Global actively supports the development of AIM standards through its own Technical Symbology Committee, Global Standards Advisory Groups, and RFID Experts Group, as well as through participation at the industry, national and international levels.