Dr. Gary L. Wise
My academic advisor
Dr. Gary Lamar Wise served as my doctoral advisor in Electrical Engineering. He was a distinguished professor who specialized in statistical signal processing, communication theory, and information systems.
Dr. Wise made significant contributions to the field of electrical engineering, particularly in statistical signal processing. He authored numerous technical papers and helped advance the field through both research and mentorship of doctoral students.
John B. Thomas
My academic grandfather
John B. Thomas was an American electrical engineer and information theorist who made significant contributions to statistical communication theory.
Thomas is known for his pioneering work in statistical communication theory and signal processing. He authored the influential textbook “Statistical Communication Theory” and made fundamental contributions to the understanding of random processes in communication systems.
Willis Harman
My academic great grandfather
Willis Harman was an American engineer, social scientist, futurist, and visionary thinker who bridged engineering and consciousness studies.
Harman began his career as an electrical engineer and professor at Stanford University. He later became President of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) from 1975-1996, where he led research into consciousness and human potential. His work expanded beyond traditional engineering to explore the relationship between science, consciousness, and social transformation.
Karl Spangenberg
My academic great2 grandfather
Karl Spangenberg was an American electrical engineer who made important contributions to the field of electron tubes and microwave electronics.
Spangenberg was a professor at Stanford University and a pioneer in electronics and communication technology. He authored the definitive textbook “Vacuum Tubes” and made significant contributions to the understanding of electron tube behavior, which was crucial to the development of early electronic communication systems.
William Littell Everitt
My academic great3 grandfather
William Littell Everitt was a distinguished electrical engineer, educator, and a founding member of the National Academy of Engineering.
Everitt made substantial contributions to the field of radio engineering and electronics. He served as the dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois and authored the influential textbook “Communication Engineering.” During World War II, he directed the operational research division of the U.S. Navy, applying engineering principles to military operations.
Frederic Columbus Blake
My academic great4 grandfather
Frederic Columbus Blake was an American physicist who made important contributions to the field of X-ray crystallography and acoustics.
Blake was a professor of physics at Ohio State University. He conducted pioneering research in X-ray diffraction and crystallography, contributing to our understanding of molecular and crystal structures. His work in acoustics also led to advancements in the physics of sound transmission and perception.
Ernest Fox Nichols
My academic great5 grandfather
Ernest Fox Nichols was a distinguished American physicist and educational administrator who served as the 10th President of Dartmouth College and the 7th President of MIT.
Nichols made significant contributions to experimental physics, particularly in the measurement of radiation pressure. He invented the Nichols radiometer, a device that precisely measured the pressure exerted by light on a surface. This work provided experimental confirmation of Maxwell’s theory of electromagnetism. Beyond his scientific research, Nichols was an influential academic leader who shaped two prestigious institutions during his presidencies.
Edward Leamington Nichols
My academic great6 grandfather
Edward Leamington Nichols was an American physicist who specialized in the study of luminescence and radiative properties of materials.
Nichols was a professor at Cornell University and a founding member of the American Physical Society. His research focused on luminescence, phosphorescence, and the optical properties of materials. He made significant contributions to understanding how different substances emit light when stimulated, laying groundwork for later developments in lighting technology and spectroscopy.
Johann Benedict Listing
My academic great7 grandfather
Johann Benedict Listing was a German mathematician who made pioneering contributions to topology, a field he named.
Listing coined the term “topology” and is considered one of the founders of this branch of mathematics. He made significant contributions to the understanding of spatial properties that remain invariant under continuous deformation. His work included the discovery of the Listing number and the formulation of Listing’s law, which describes the orientation of the eye. His mathematical innovations laid the groundwork for modern topology, which has applications in numerous fields including physics and computer science.
Carl Friedrich Gauss
My academic great8 grandfather
Carl Friedrich Gauss was a German mathematician and physicist who is ranked among history’s most influential mathematicians.
Often referred to as the “Prince of Mathematicians,” Gauss made groundbreaking contributions across multiple fields. He revolutionized number theory, algebra, statistics, differential geometry, geophysics, electrostatics, and astronomy. His innovations include the method of least squares, the fundamental theorem of algebra, Gaussian distribution (normal distribution), and Gaussian curvature. Gauss also developed practical instruments for surveying and magnetism research. His extraordinary breadth and depth of mathematical insight continue to influence modern science and mathematics.
Johann Friedrich Pfaff
My academic great9 grandfather
Johann Friedrich Pfaff was a German mathematician who made significant contributions to analysis and differential equations.
Pfaff is best known for his work on partial differential equations, particularly what are now called Pfaffian forms and the Pfaffian problem in the calculus of variations. He developed methods for solving differential equations that laid important groundwork for later mathematicians. Pfaff was also a respected professor at the University of Helmstedt and later at the University of Halle, where he mentored several notable mathematicians including Carl Friedrich Gauss.
Johann Elert Bode
My academic great10 grandfather
Johann Elert Bode was a German astronomer known for his contribution to the understanding of our solar system’s structure.
Bode is best remembered for popularizing what became known as the Titius–Bode law, a mathematical formula that predicts the relative distances of planets from the Sun. This rule gained significant attention when it successfully predicted the location of Uranus after its discovery. Bode served as the director of the Berlin Observatory and published several influential astronomical works, including a comprehensive celestial atlas. His contributions helped advance planetary astronomy during a crucial period of discovery.
Johann Georg Büsch
My academic great11 grandfather
Johann Georg Büsch was a German mathematician, economist, and educational reformer.
Büsch founded the Hamburg Commercial Academy (Handlungsakademie), an innovative institution that combined practical commercial education with mathematical and scientific training. As a mathematician, he made contributions to applied mathematics, particularly in commerce and economics. His economic writings addressed monetary theory, banking, and international trade. Büsch’s integrated approach to education, combining theoretical and practical knowledge, was influential in the development of commercial and technical education in Germany.
Johann Andreas Segner
My academic great12 grandfather
Johann Andreas Segner was a Hungarian-German scientist who made contributions to mathematics, physics, and medicine.
Segner is best known for inventing the Segner wheel, one of the earliest forms of the reaction water turbine, which demonstrated the principle of action and reaction in fluid dynamics. This invention influenced the development of modern water turbines. In mathematics, he made contributions to the theory of equations and algebraic functions. Segner also worked in astronomy and medicine, exemplifying the broad scientific approach of his era. He held professorships at the universities of Jena and Göttingen.
Georg Erhard Hamberger
My academic great13 grandfather
Georg Erhard Hamberger was a German physician, physicist, and mathematician who taught at the University of Jena.
Hamberger made notable contributions to physiology, particularly in the mechanics of respiration and the function of the thoracic muscles. His work bridged medicine and physics, applying mechanical principles to understand bodily functions. As a professor at Jena, he taught mathematics, physics, chemistry, and medicine, embodying the integrative approach to science typical of the early Enlightenment period. Hamberger also engaged in debates about physiological theories that helped advance medical understanding.
Johann Adolph Wedel
My academic great14 grandfather
Johann Adolph Wedel was a German physician and professor of medicine at the University of Jena.
Wedel continued the medical traditions of his father, Georg Wolfgang Wedel, at the University of Jena. He contributed to the development of medical education during a transitional period in European medicine. His work helped bridge traditional Galenic medicine with emerging experimental approaches. As a teacher and practitioner, he influenced a generation of physicians during a time when medical science was beginning its transformation toward more empirical approaches.
Georg Wolfgang Wedel
My academic great15 grandfather
Georg Wolfgang Wedel was a German physician, chemist, and botanist who was a prominent medical professor at the University of Jena.
Wedel was an influential figure in 17th-century medicine who integrated traditional medical knowledge with emerging chemical and botanical research. He authored numerous medical texts and pharmacological works that were widely used throughout Europe. Wedel’s approach combined theoretical medicine with practical chemistry and botany, contributing to the development of pharmaceutical science. As a professor at Jena for nearly 50 years, he shaped medical education and practice during a critical period of scientific transformation.
Werner Rolfinck
My academic great16 grandfather
Werner Rolfinck was a German physician, chemist, and botanist who helped establish modern scientific methods in German universities.
Rolfinck was a pioneering figure who introduced chemical laboratories and anatomical theaters at the University of Jena, bringing practical demonstration into medical education. He established Germany’s first university botanical garden and championed the teaching of chemistry as a distinct discipline. Rolfinck’s approach to medical education emphasized direct observation and experimentation, helping to transition medicine from medieval scholasticism toward modern scientific methods. His work in comparative anatomy and public dissections advanced anatomical knowledge despite cultural resistance.
Adriaan van den Spiegel
My academic great17 grandfather
Adriaan van den Spiegel (Adrianus Spigelius) was a Flemish anatomist and botanist who served as the chair of anatomy and surgery at the University of Padua.
Van den Spiegel made important contributions to human anatomy, including the first accurate description of the caudate lobe of the liver (Spigelian lobe) which bears his name. He authored “De humani corporis fabrica libri decem,” an influential anatomical text published posthumously. His detailed observations advanced anatomical knowledge during a crucial period in medical history. Van den Spiegel also made contributions to botany, describing numerous plant species in his botanical works.
Hieronymus Fabricius
My academic great18 grandfather
Hieronymus Fabricius (Girolamo Fabrizio) was an Italian anatomist and surgeon known as “The Father of Embryology.”
Fabricius made groundbreaking contributions to comparative anatomy and embryology. He discovered the valves in veins, a finding that later helped his student William Harvey discover blood circulation. Fabricius conducted pioneering studies of embryological development across species, documenting the development of chicks in eggs and comparing embryonic development across different animals. His anatomical theater at the University of Padua became a model for medical education throughout Europe. Fabricius’ emphasis on observation and comparison established fundamental principles for modern embryology and developmental biology.
Gabriele Falloppio
My academic great19 grandfather
Gabriele Falloppio (Fallopius) was an Italian anatomist and physician who made significant contributions to understanding human reproductive anatomy.
Falloppio is best known for his detailed descriptions of the female reproductive system, including the tubes that connect the ovaries to the uterus, now known as the fallopian tubes. He also made important observations in osteology, describing the inner ear and palate in unprecedented detail. As a professor at the University of Padua, he helped establish it as Europe’s leading center for anatomical studies. Falloppio’s careful observations corrected many errors in Vesalius’ earlier work, advancing anatomical knowledge during the Renaissance period.
Antonio Musa Brassavola
My academic great20 grandfather
Antonio Musa Brassavola was an Italian physician, botanist, and aristocrat who made important contributions to Renaissance medicine and botany.
Brassavola was a pioneer in pharmacology and botany who documented over 300 medicinal remedies in his works. He performed one of the first successful tracheotomies, a revolutionary procedure at the time. As physician to nobility including Pope Paul III and King Francis I of France, Brassavola’s influence extended throughout Europe. His approach combined classical medical knowledge with direct observation, and his botanical studies contributed to the emerging systematic classification of plants. Brassavola’s work helped bridge medieval medicine and early modern scientific approaches.
Niccolò Leoniceno
My academic great21 grandfather
Niccolò Leoniceno was an Italian physician, humanist, and scholar who made significant contributions to Renaissance medicine and natural history.
Leoniceno was a key figure in the revival of classical medical knowledge during the Renaissance. He translated numerous Greek medical texts, including works by Hippocrates and Galen, making them accessible to European physicians. Leoniceno is particularly noted for challenging medical orthodoxy by pointing out errors in Pliny’s Natural History, demonstrating a new critical approach to ancient authorities. His work on syphilis was among the earliest scientific studies of this disease. As a professor at the University of Ferrara for over 60 years until his death in 1524, Leoniceno helped transform medical education by emphasizing direct observation alongside classical learning.