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April 25, 2005 Vol. 76, no.14S
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| MSE Professor Jim Evans has taught
at Berkeley since 1972. He is the author/co-author of three books
and 300 papers. Some of his current projects include mathematical
modeling of the treatment of molten metals, wireless monitoring
of the electrolytic cells used for producing aluminum, and recovery
of water and copper from semiconductor industry waste streams.
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Professor
Minute with MSE Professor Jim Evans
If you had not decided
to go into engineering, what other career would you have today?
Perhaps astronomy or history. Both interested me greatly in my teens
but, living in still-impoverished post-World War II Britain, there was
a lot of encouragement from family and teachers to enter a field with
solid career prospects.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
"Spare time" amounts to about 20 minutes a day, which I
usually spend reading trash, serious fiction, a little history, and
the newspaper. Many weekends I manage to ski and hike or schlep my daughter
to track meets, soccer games and the like.
To date, what has been the most memorable moment in your career
and why?
Probably getting tenure about a quarter century ago. A senior colleague
took me aside to tell me how the department reached its decision, and
said something like, "Well, there wasn't much discussion
of your technical abilities, but we weren't sure about your personality."
I'll never know whether he was joking or not on either count,
but I will always remember the remark!
What movie should every student see?
My first thought was "Hotel Rwanda," but I'll say
"House of Sand and Fog." Both are about xenophobia and the
abuse of power, but the latter is set right around the corner.
What CD are you listening to at the moment?
In the CD player in my car, I have Puccini, Keith Jarrett, Yo-Yo Ma,
Bob Dylan and carols left over from Christmas.
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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