J. Alan George
Encyclopedia
J. Alan George, is a computer scientist
and university administrator.
In the academic world, George is best known for his intensive research and wide-ranging contributions to the field of numerical linear algebra
, specifically computation with sparse matrices
. He is the author or coauthor of more than 100 research articles and two books, and co-editor of two other books. With his students, he has developed a widely-used mathematical software package (SPARSPAK) for solving sparse systems of equations and sparse least squares problems.
He is also well known at the University of Waterloo
for having served in a number of senior administrative positions, notably Vice-President, Provost, and Dean of Mathematics.
in 1964 and 1966 respectively, and a Ph.D.
from Stanford University
in 1971. His doctoral thesis was entitled Computer Implementation of the Finite Element Method and his supervisor was George Forsythe
.
from 1980 to 1986. From 1986 to 1988 he held the position of Distinguished Scientist at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and University Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He held the position of Vice-President, Academic & Provost from 1988 until June 30, 1993. He again served as Dean of Mathematics from December 3, 1997 to June 30, 2005. He served as interim Vice-President, Academic & Provost at the University from January through August 2001, and interim Vice-President, University Research from January 2006 through June 2007. He is currently Associate Provost, Information Systems & Technology at UW, a position he has held since July, 2003, and also has been serving as interim Dean of Graduate Studies since October, 2007.
His name has been given to an award, the J. Alan George Award, given by Waterloo's undergraduate Mathematics Society to an undergraduate completing studies in the Faculty of Mathematics who has shown exemplary service to student life during in the duration of his or her studies.
rec.humor.funny from Waterloo's news service.
From 1991 to 1993, he was involved in a dispute ("the Edmonds affair") with the University of Waterloo.
In 2000, his decision to override a professor's assigned marks for a calculus class resulted in considerable news coverage on campus and a formal arbitration between the university and the professor concerned.
He is a Fellow of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a Fellow of the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications (UK), and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
Computer scientist
A computer scientist is a scientist who has acquired knowledge of computer science, the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their application in computer systems....
and university administrator.
In the academic world, George is best known for his intensive research and wide-ranging contributions to the field of numerical linear algebra
Linear algebra
Linear algebra is a branch of mathematics that studies vector spaces, also called linear spaces, along with linear functions that input one vector and output another. Such functions are called linear maps and can be represented by matrices if a basis is given. Thus matrix theory is often...
, specifically computation with sparse matrices
Sparse matrix
In the subfield of numerical analysis, a sparse matrix is a matrix populated primarily with zeros . The term itself was coined by Harry M. Markowitz....
. He is the author or coauthor of more than 100 research articles and two books, and co-editor of two other books. With his students, he has developed a widely-used mathematical software package (SPARSPAK) for solving sparse systems of equations and sparse least squares problems.
He is also well known at the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
for having served in a number of senior administrative positions, notably Vice-President, Provost, and Dean of Mathematics.
Education
George received a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the University of AlbertaUniversity of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
in 1964 and 1966 respectively, and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1971. His doctoral thesis was entitled Computer Implementation of the Finite Element Method and his supervisor was George Forsythe
George Forsythe
George Elmer Forsythe was the founder and head of Stanford University's Computer Science Department. He served as professor and chairman of the department from 1965 until his death...
.
Administrative service
He served as Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of WaterlooUniversity of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
from 1980 to 1986. From 1986 to 1988 he held the position of Distinguished Scientist at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and University Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He held the position of Vice-President, Academic & Provost from 1988 until June 30, 1993. He again served as Dean of Mathematics from December 3, 1997 to June 30, 2005. He served as interim Vice-President, Academic & Provost at the University from January through August 2001, and interim Vice-President, University Research from January 2006 through June 2007. He is currently Associate Provost, Information Systems & Technology at UW, a position he has held since July, 2003, and also has been serving as interim Dean of Graduate Studies since October, 2007.
His name has been given to an award, the J. Alan George Award, given by Waterloo's undergraduate Mathematics Society to an undergraduate completing studies in the Faculty of Mathematics who has shown exemplary service to student life during in the duration of his or her studies.
Controversy
In 1989, George attracted some attention for his decision, as Provost, to bar the Internet newsgroupNewsgroup
A usenet newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users in different locations. The term may be confusing to some, because it is usually a discussion group. Newsgroups are technically distinct from, but functionally similar to, discussion forums on...
rec.humor.funny from Waterloo's news service.
From 1991 to 1993, he was involved in a dispute ("the Edmonds affair") with the University of Waterloo.
In 2000, his decision to override a professor's assigned marks for a calculus class resulted in considerable news coverage on campus and a formal arbitration between the university and the professor concerned.
Other
He has been a consultant to various companies and government agencies in Canada, the United States, and Britain, and serves or has served on advisory or governing boards for numerous academic institutions and research institutes.He is a Fellow of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a Fellow of the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications (UK), and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.