Robert Ghrist
2018 MIME Outstanding Alumnus
Robert Ghrist, Ph.D.
Andrea Mitchell PIK University Professor of Mathematics and Electrical & Systems Engineering
University of Pennsylvania
UT BSME 1991
Robert Ghrist, PhD Graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering for the University of Toledo in 1991 and continued his education at Cornell, earning both his Master of Science (1994) and PhD (1995). Today, Dr. Ghrist is the Andrea Mitchell PIK Professor of Mathematics and Electrical & Systems Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Ghrist is known for his work on topological methods in applied mathematics. He is an award-winning researcher in applied algebraic topology, earning the PECASE award from President Bush in 2004, a SciAm "Top50" award for research innovation from Scientific American Magazine in 2007, and an NSSEFF award from the US Department of Defense in 2015. Ghrist has led several large grant projects funded by the AFOSR, ASDR&E, DARPA, the NSF, and the ONR.
Dr. Ghrist is also an award-winning teacher, writer, and speaker. He was awarded the Chauvenet Prize by the MAA in 2013 -- the highest award is given for mathematical expository writing. He won the Lindback Award in 2015 -- the highest award given at Penn for teaching. His on-line calculus course at Coursera ("Single Variable Calculus") has illustrated the subject to over 100,000 people around the world.
Dr. Ghrist lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and four children who share his love of old books (his wife that is) and video games (the kids).