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September
27, 2004 Vol. 75, no. 5F
Professor
Minute with EECS professor Eric Brewer
EECS professor Eric Brewer
has been teaching at Berkeley since 1994. He focuses on all aspects
of Internet-based systems, including technology, strategy, and government.
His current research topics include giant-scale Internet-based services,
technology for developing regions, and sensor networks. In 1996, he
co-founded Inktomi Corporation with a Berkeley grad student. In 2000,
he founded the Federal Search Foundation, a 501-3(c) organization focused
on improving consumer access to government information. Working with
President Clinton, Professor Brewer helped create FirstGov.gov, the
official portal of the Federal government, which launched in September
2000.
What do you do to forget
about engineering?
Kayaking on the Bay is incredibly tranquil and often very beautiful
as well, so that is a reliable refuge from the pace of technology. My
other big hobbies are cooking and photography (see www.cs.berkeley.edu/~brewer/photos).
What is your personal recipe for success?
I believe that optimism really matters. Most of my projects have been
essentially self-fulfilling visions. The vision plus some optimism causes
action and small victories, and these in turn lead to more progress.
I rarely know the exact path to achieve some vision, but the first steps
and some contagious optimism seem to carry the day.
How can a student get through your hardest class?
I tend to cover a lot of material in each lecture, but I try to do so
in a precise way. Because of this, I have found that students who talk
about the lecture with other students tend to learn more. I am trying
to facilitate some of this using online tools such as newsgroups.
Why did you become a professor?
The two great reasons to be a professor are the incredible people with
whom you get to work, and the ability (and perceived right) to influence
a wide range activities – many more than you would manage if you
actually had to do the activities yourself.
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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