Congratulations to Jeff Erickson who was highlighted in the latest edition of Illinois Alumni Magazine as a great CS prof. He, I guess, slipped the interviewer my name, and she called me for a phone interview.

The piece released today. (Local copy) (And coming soon in glossy print to a coffee table, bathroom reading bin, and birdcage near you!) See page 12, or search for my or Jeffe’s name.

The article did a decent job of stroking, but I don’t think Amy Reiter, the author, did a good enough job explaining how complicated some of the theories Jeff teaches are, and how plainly and easily he does it. This is mind-twisting stuff, and he makes it fun. I would have made the following emphasis points in my quotes: one fluid motion As in, blink and it’s done. Your fingers mesh, they unmesh, your shoe is tied. (Jeff, if you want to thank me for the interview, I need a refresher on how exactly you do that.) The other point was the then-300-level theory course was the pinnacle CS theory course. It’s the hard class you take. This is the class whose syllabus’ vocabulary sends fear and doubt into the meek.

I didn’t bother trying to explain to her that if I could solve minesweeper in polynomial time, the universe would implode itself. I’m not sure that would have impressed her, (kinda like my label maker,) and so I think that knowledge is best served in the hands/minds of those of us who will solve minesweeper in P. Oh, yes. We will.

I’m surprised how often I was quoted/referenced in the article. (Counting it up, Jeff has three times as many direct quotes, so I guess it’s okay.) As an alumni magazine, I guess they cover all interests when they get an alum to talk about current professors. Even more bases when that alum is a full time academic professional who’s also a grad student.

Anyway, congrats Jeff. Today, I’m quoted in an alumni magazine! Now to work on getting referenced in an academic journal! (I have to work on lowering my Erdos number. Unless Jeffe has one, and the alumni mag counts, lowering mine from infinity to Jeffe+1.)