He became a student and working lab partner to Claude Shannon, whom he admired zealously and assisted in the early years of information theory.

His thesis, titled "Theoretical Limitations on the Broadband Matching of Arbitrary Impedances",[8] was supervised by Ernst Guillemin.

Fano's career spans three areas, microwave systems, information theory, and computer science.

[9] In 1954, Fano was made an IEEE Fellow for "contributions in the field of information theory and microwave filters".

[9] In 1977 he was recognized for his contribution to the teaching of electrical engineering with the IEEE James H. Mulligan Jr. Education Medal.