How I arrived at my present job (academic and other influences): I always wanted to be a mathematician. When I received my PhD in Mathematical Logic at the University of Chicago, I started at the University of Michigan in the Department of Mathematics (1955). I learned about computers then, and moved into the computer field.
How I organize my day: I start off with email, and move to whatever unfinished work I have from the day before. Time left over from that is spent reading newspapers, books, etc.
Amount of time spent working daily (at home and office): Since I am retired from the University (but still consulting and doing volunteer work), I work almost entirely at home. About 4 or 5 hours each day.
What I do to get myself thinking creatively: I review what I have done on the specific project recently, and then keep on going.
My problem-solving strategy: Don't start too early finalizing strategies, since a little dead-line pressure helps focus your thoughts. But don't start so late that you can't finish the job with comfort. Write down thoughts as you go along, but don't become a slave to what is written. Use both top-down and bottom-up strategies. Neither one does the whole job.
What I do to relieve stress: Avoid stress in the first place by not procrastinating. Do first those tasks that have the shortest dead-line, even if they are distasteful. If you find yourself always putting a particular assignment off into the future, try to get off that committee; be honest about it, to yourself and to others.
What I do to mentor those who work for me: Keep in touch with their work and be available for interaction, but don't micro-manage.
How a negative event changed my life in a positive way: I almost had a job in defense-related work during the Korean war, but I was drafted into the army at the last moment. After the service, I resolved to finish my PhD work, which I did, and that led to my successful career. I don't know if I would have finished up the PhD work if I had taken the first job.
What values are the most important to me and what I value in others: Integrity and candor, and a willingness to tackle hard jobs.
What inspires, motivates, or gets me excited about my job on a daily basis: Intellectual challenge
Biography:
BERNARD A. GALLER
BIRTHDATE: October 3, 1928 CITIZENSHIP: USA
PLACE OF BIRTH: Chicago, IL
EDUCATION
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL Ph.D.
Mathematics 1955
University of California, Los Angeles MA
Mathematics 1949
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
BS Mathematics 1947
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
PhB Liberal Arts 1946
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
The University of Michigan
Professor Emeritus of Elect. Eng. & Computer Science 1994
-
Professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science 1984-1994
Professor of Computer & Communication Sciences
1966 -1984
Associate Professor of Mathematics 1962 - 1966
Assistant Professor of Mathematics 1958 - 1962
Instructor in Mathematics 1955 - 1958
Associate Dean for Long-Range Planning, College of Literature,
Science and the Arts 1975-1979
Chairman, Dept. of Computer & Communication Sciences, 1973-1975
Associate Director, Computing Center 1966 - 1991
Visiting Professor, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Winter, 1988
Senior Visiting Fellow, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK,
Summer 1973
Overseas Visitor, Australian Computer Society, 1970
Visiting Professor in the Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam,
The Netherlands, 1965 - 1966
OFFICES AND CURRENT ASSIGNMENTS
Member, Commercial Panel, American Arbitration Association
(1999 - )
President, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) (1968 -
70), Vice-President (1966 - 68)
Founder & Chairman, Board of Directors, Software Patent
Institute (1992 - 94), President (1995 - 1998)
Executive Comm. (1998 - )
Chairman, Board of Directors, Corp. for Research & Educational
Networking (CREN) (1989 - 1992)
Member, ACM Turing Award Committee (1971 - 75, 1988 - 1993),
Chairman (1973 - 75, 1991 - 1992)
Member, CSNET Executive Committee (1983 - 1989),
Vice-Chairman (1986 - 1987), Chairman (1988 - 1989)
Member, Board of Directors, Charles Babbage Foundation (1982-)
HONORS:
Fellow, ACM 1994
Excellence in Concentration Advising Award, U of M, 1993
AFIPS Distinguished Service Award, 1984
ACM Distinguished Service Award, 1980
IBM Triangle Fellow in the History of Technology, 1980
Invited Speaker, IFIP World Congress 1994, Hamburg
Invited Speaker, IFIP Congress 1974, Stockholm
Invited Speaker, 1974 Jerusalem Conference on Information
Technology, Jerusalem
Senior Visiting Fellowship, 1973 Science Research Council, England
Last Modified:
Location: www.acm.org/crossroads/dayinlife/bernard_galler.html