Congratulations to Prof S. Rao Jammalamadaka!

Award Recipient: 

Prof S. Rao Jammalamadaka

Award Date: 

Thursday, June 1, 2017

As taken from the Academic Senate Awards page (5/3/2017). 

Professor S. Rao Jammalamadaka has been a faculty member at UCSB since 1976. His research interests include nonparameteric statistical inference, limit distribution theory and asymptotic efficiencies of test procedures, directional data analysis and goodness-of-fit tests. He is an extraordinary and productive researcher who has published three books, 152 research papers and 33 book review articles. He has given 300 invited lectures nationally and internationally. Professor Jammalamadaka played a key role in creation of the Department of Statistics and Applied Probability at UCSB and was its first Chair. 

During his 41 years of service at UCSB, Professor Jammalamadaka has supervised 41 Ph.D. students. In fact, about 40% of all Ph.D.s in Statistics granted at UCSB were supervised by Professor Jammalamadaka. Professor Jammalamadaka advised many more students as a Ph.D. thesis committee member and external reviewer, and as a faculty adviser in Undergraduate Research and Graduate Research Internship programs. Professor Jammalamadaka was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, and the citation states that he was being recognized in part because of his help in mentoring students towards their Ph.D.s. Many of Professor Jammalamadaka's students and advisees teach at universities all around the world. However, we do not have to go too far to see the impact of Professor Jammalamadaka's mentorship. One current UCSB faculty member was an undergraduate advisee of Professor Jammalamadaka, and another, recently hired, UCSB faculty member is a third generation student of Professor Jammalamadaka. 

Professor Jammalamadaka is an outstanding teacher who has taught courses in both Statistics and Probability at all levels. He is known for giving his lectures without any lecture notes. His students fondly remember his ability to explain complex concepts with clarity and with many illustrating examples, using just a blackboard, a piece of chalk, and "his seemingly bottomless well of knowledge." 

Current and former Ph.D. students of Professor Jammalamadaka are grateful to him for his outstanding mentorship. A current student of Professor Jammalamadaka states that "I would never be able to achieve what I am today without his help." Another current student states that "I cannot be more grateful to him for the insightful guidance, the patience and the inspiration he gave me on my way towards the completion of my doctoral degree." Dr. Martin T. Wells, Charles A. Alexander Professor of Statistical Sciences at Cornell University, states that "Many of my academic contributions are rooted in my days at UCSB and are dividends of JS's investment in my intellectual development." Dr. Kaushik Ghosh, Associate Professor at University of Nevada, Las Vegas states that "He has been a great inspiration to me and he is the reason for my choice of academic career."

Dr. Michael M. Nava, a first generation college and minority student, and currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at UCSB, states that "constant support from Dr. J allowed me to not only survive the program but to thrive. Being a part of Dr. J's research group was the best intellectual interaction I've ever had." 

To recognize his decades long dedication and excellence in mentoring students, Professor Jammalamadaka is awarded the Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award. Congratulations!

 

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