Recognizing the achievements of its members is an important part of the mission of the IEEE. Each year, following a rigorous evaluation procedure, the IEEE Fellow Committee recommends a select group of recipients for one of the Institute's most prestigious honors, elevation to IEEE Fellow.

The IEEE Board of Directors, at its meeting on 18 November 2007, elevated Prof. Rui Paulo Silva Martins to IEEE Fellow, effective 1 January 2008, with the following citation: "for leadership in engineering education".