Pioneering engineer wins highest honor from SEAS

The Engineering School yesterday granted its most esteemed prize for lifetime achievement in the field to University of Michigan professor John Holland, a renowned computer engineer best known in scientific circles as "The Father of the Genetic Algorithm." Holland -- who holds positions in the Electrical Engineering and Psychology departments at Michigan -- first gained fame during the 1950s and 1960s when he pioneered the field of genetic algorithms, a system of using genetic science to find solutions to difficult problems in business, science and other fields. Named for Harold Pender, the first dean of the University's Moore School of Electrical Engineering -- now part of the School of Engineering and Applied Science -- the Pender Award is distributed every two years to a figure in the scientific community who has made significant contributions to society. According to Interim Engineering Dean Eduardo Glandt, recipients of the Pender Award are on the cutting edge of the world of science and technology. "The ideas and work of the people who win the Pender Award change the way we do science," Glandt said. "If you look at the list of past winners, it's very much a who's who of scientific figures of the last 50 years. There are four Nobel Prize winners on the list." Glandt, who introduced Holland at an event yesterday evening, said it was a "red and blue-letter day for this University and our profession," and praised Holland's work in creating a new field of science. "I believe that the ultimate definition of intelligence is someone who sees a variety of different things and is able to piece together what they have in common," Glandt said. "In this way, he is a real trailblazer." The evening's festivities began with a presentation by Holland, entitled "21st Century Engineering: The Role of Emergence." Attended by a large crowd of undergraduates, graduate students and faculty members, Holland used the opportunity to describe his own work and offer insights and advice for the next generation of scientists. "I want to stress how important innovation is in the growth of technology," Holland said. "It's important to pay attention to all facets of science." Following the presentation, Holland was the guest of honor at an invitation-only dinner held at the University Museum, at which time he received his award. "This was such a surprise for me," remarked Holland, who has also received a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, as well as high honors at Michigan and from the World Economic Council. Response to Holland's presentation was overwhelming, both from those familiar with his work and those not. "Most of [his speech] was a lot more complex than what I'm used to dealing with," Engineering sophomore Siddhartha Kar said. "But it was very interesting because it shows how theories that we don't usually relate to engineering come into play in all sorts of fields" "I'm a little biased because I've done work with genetic algorithms," added Mark McCormick, an employee in the School of Arts and Sciences' computing department. "I thought he gave a terrific speech and I think it's long overdue that he got this award. I really liked everything he said." "I really enjoyed his presentation," second-year Mathematics graduate student Aaron Jaggard said. "I wasn't familiar with genetic algorithms but I think that his perspectives on a field which he helped found were interesting, as well as his perspectives on new problems in the 21st century."