My life summarized

Short Bio

After a few wandering years studying physics, computer science, engineering and philosophy in Montreal in the seventies, I entered the industrial world where I spent more than a decade designing optimization software, telecommunication protocols and real-time controllers.

I left Bell-Northern Research, the best geek playground in Canada, in 1993 to become the oldest student in the Faculty of Mathematics of the University of Waterloo. Leaving family, friends and country to attach the three letters Ph.D. to my name with the intention, at first, to return to the real world. But a few years misspent as mathematics and computer science instructor at Waterloo, Wilfrid-Laurier and finally Oakland, while finishing my dissertation, convinced me of the appeal of academia. After a productive stint as visiting Associate Professor at American University, in DC, I am back at Oakland, teaching teachers.

My current research interests still bear the stamp of practicality enforced by years in industry: algorithms for semidefinite optimization, scheduling, feasibility and the related numerical linear algebra and analysis.

Highlights

Born: Septembre 1958, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Education:

Ph.D. Combinatorics and Optimization, University of Waterloo,2001

Title: High Accuracy Algorithms for the Solutions of Semidefinite

Linear Programs

Advisor: Prof. Henry Wolkowicz

Examiners:

Profs Alan George, Brian Borchers, Adrian Lewis, Levent Tuncel

M.Math. Combinatorics and Optimization, Waterloo,1996

Title: Semidefinite Programming Applied to Nonlinear Programming

Ages ago I spent a number of years bumbling around:

Electrical Engineeging, McGill University, (I hated this. Did not stay long.)

Université de Montréal, physique. (More professors than students when I was there. Great place. Intellectually very stimulating.)

Philosophie, Université du Québec à Montréal. (Fun times arguing with Trotskyists of all sorts.)

Science Pures et Appliquées, CEGEP Angré-Grasset (Politically and philosophically formative years. The CEGEP, as an institution is a great idea in education.)

Sciences Pures, Collège de Montréal (The oldest boarding school in the country, methinks, established in 1767. Loved it! )

Work:

Visiting Associate Professor, Computer Science, American University 2011-2012

Visiting researcher, University of Melbourne, Winter 2007

Visiting Maitre de conference, Universite de la Reunion, France, Summer 2007 (Teaching in my mother tongue for the first time in my life)

Associate Professor, Mathematics, Oakland University, 2006-Present

Assistant Professor, Mathematics, Oakland University, 2000-2006

Lecturer, St-Jerome University, 1998-2000

Instructor, Wilfrid-Laurier University, 1997-1998

Software Project Leader, Northern Telecom, 1990-1993

Software design consultant, various places, 1980-1990

Curriculum vitae (pdf format, of course)

curriculum vitae