A Conversation with David R. Brillinger

TL;DR

This paper is an interview with David R. Brillinger, highlighting his extensive career in mathematics and statistics, his academic journey, and his contributions to the field over several decades.

Contribution

The paper provides a detailed personal account and professional history of David R. Brillinger, emphasizing his academic achievements and influence in statistics.

Findings

Highlights Brillinger's academic and professional milestones.

Showcases his mentorship of 40 doctoral students.

Documents his contributions to statistics and mathematics.

Abstract

David Ross Brillinger was born on the 27th of October 1937, in Toronto, Canada. In 1955, he entered the University of Toronto, graduating with a B.A. with Honours in Pure Mathematics in 1959, while also serving as a Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve. He was one of the five winners of the Putnam mathematical competition in 1958. He then went on to obtain his M.A. and Ph.D. in Mathematics at Princeton University, in 1960 and 1961, the latter under the guidance of John W. Tukey. During the period 1962--1964 he held halftime appointments as a Lecturer in Mathematics at Princeton, and a Member of Technical Staff at Bell Telephone Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey. In 1964, he was appointed Lecturer and, two years later, Reader in Statistics at the London School of Economics. After spending a sabbatical year at Berkeley in 1967--1968, he returned to become Professor of Statistics in 1970, and has been there ever since. During his 40 years (and counting) as a faculty member at Berkeley, he has supervised 40 doctoral theses. He has a record of academic and professional service and has received a number of honors and awards.