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September
20, 2004 Vol. 75, no. 4F
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BioE professor Ian Holmes joined the Berkeley
Engineering faculty the summer of 2004 after teaching at Oxford
University for four years. While new to the faculty, Holmes is
no stranger to Berkeley, having completed his post-doctorate work
here in 2000. A rising star in the field of computational biology,
Holmes studies the evolution of genomes by comparing the genome
codes of different species.
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Professor
Minute with BioE professor Ian Holmes
What do you do to forget
about engineering?
Playing music is one way. I have a mandolin, a violin and electric versions
of both, although our apartment walls are a bit thin for me to really
thrash. So I usually play acoustic. Other than that, I’ll go for
a bike ride. Back in Cambridge, UK (where I’m from), bikes are
purely a utilitarian means of transport because it’s all flat,
so it’s nice to be in the Bay Area where mountain biking is all
about fun. My guilty secret is that I also love computer games. Baldur’s
Gate rocks. The best part is, I’ve got my wife hooked on it too.
What is your personal recipe for success?
I think you have to define success for yourself. There are so many different
metrics and standards for us to live up to in the world, that I personally
would go crazy trying to meet them all. For example, if you view university
as being a unique opportunity to learn and grow, rather than a competition
for grades, then you’ll have a more rewarding and successful experience.
How can a student get through your hardest class?
Focus on one topic you really enjoy and pursue it, above and beyond
what is required. In real life no one sets the curriculum for you. Good
math skills also help.
Why did you become a professor?
I became a professor because I love the academic freedom, the creativity
of scientific research, the constant flow of ideas back and forth between
yourself and students, and the feeling that you’re doing something
for society. All the usual reasons, I guess. I do think it is quite
remarkable that such jobs exist, where you’re basically paid to
think, discuss stuff you enjoy, and play with computers all day long.
If you would like us to
feature your favorite professor, please e-mail his or her name to engnews@coe.berkeley.edu.
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