MIT Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

Professor Eric Grimson Named to New Professorship

June 18, 1998

To: EECS Faculty and Staff

From: Paul Penfield, Jr.

Date: June 18, 1998

Subject: Professorship for Eric Grimson

I am pleased to tell you that Prof. Eric Grimson has been named by Dean Robert A. Brown as the first Bernard Gordon Professor of Medical Engineering, for a five-year term.

This chair was established this year by Bernard M. Gordon, a graduate of our department and Chairman and CEO of Analogic Corporation. Its purpose is to recognize outstanding faculty within the School of Engineering who are performing research that leads to the development of electromedical products and systems to benefit human health. Analogic is a major manufacturer of Computed Tomography systems for medical and industrial imaging. There is another Bernard Gordon Professorship at MIT, that deals with product engineering. The current holder of that chair is Adjunct Professor G. David Forney who has had extensive industrial experience designing and manufacturing modems.

Eric is recognized throughout the world as a leader in computer vision. His recent work in enhanced-reality image projection for minimally invasive surgery has been widely acclaimed, and is in clinical use at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Eric is also one of the department's premier teachers. He regularly lectures 6.001 and is now, with Duane Boning, in charge of it. This past semester the early developers of 6.001, including Hal Abelson and Gerry Sussman, lectured it for the last time and at the end of the semester staged a little ceremony in which they formally turned the reins over to Eric and Duane.

Another of Eric's visible roles at MIT has been apparent when, as part of his service on the Commencement Committee, he has led the procession of graduating students into Killian Court. Tall and slender, beard neatly trimmed, resplendent in MIT ceremonial garb, he has always imparted a traditional, scholarly feeling to the ceremony. Those of us who know Eric recognize that he not only played the part but also lived the part. How fitting that his accomplishments are now recognized in the form of this chair appointment.