Jean Paul Jacob
Jean Paul Jacob | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1937 |
| Died | 2019-04-07 |
| Alma mater | Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, University of California, Berkeley |
| Occupation(s) | Electronic engineer, academic researcher, university professor |
| Years active | 1960s–2002 (IBM), continued as Researcher Emeritus after retirement |
| Known for | Founding Systems Department at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; establishing South America's first IBM Scientific Center; contributions to systems and control theory |
Jean Paul Jacob was a distinguished Brazilian electronic engineer, academic researcher, and university professor.
He obtained his degree in electronic engineering from Brazil’s Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica and pursued graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where he completed both his MS and PhD in Mathematics and Engineering by 1966.
Jacob began his career engaging in systems and control research within industrial and academic laboratories in France, followed by a tenure at the IBM Nordic Laboratory located in Stockholm. In 1963, he relocated to the United States to join IBM’s San José Research Laboratory (currently known as the IBM Almaden Research Center), contributing significantly to advanced simulation projects for NASA. After earning his doctorate, he returned to Brazil in 1969, where he held positions at the University of São Paulo, Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. At the latter, he was instrumental in founding the Systems Department. His prolific output included numerous publications in mathematical journals and co-authorship of a book on System and Control Theory released in Japan.
In 1980, Jacob established South America’s inaugural IBM Scientific Center alongside an Institute dedicated to Software Engineering. Concurrently, he managed research activities at IBM’s Almaden Research Center and held visiting scholar appointments at both Stanford University and UC Berkeley, where he took sabbaticals from IBM Research.
Although retiring from IBM in 2002, Jacob resumed involvement as a Researcher Emeritus. Throughout his career, he received over 50 accolades, notably including UC Berkeley’s 1992 Distinguished Alumnus Award in Computer Science and Engineering and the 2003 UC Research Leadership Award. As a member of the IBM Academy of Technology, he represented elite technical leaders worldwide across domains such as research, hardware, software development, manufacturing, applications, and services. His work attracted coverage in more than 200 media outlets spanning twelve countries and featured on at least thirty science and technology television programs, including CNN.
Jacob played a pivotal role representing IBM during the creation of the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) at UC Berkeley in 2000. He organized yearly workshops addressing nanotechnology, energy, and service sectors involving collaborations among UC Berkeley, CITRIS, and IBM. Additionally, he frequently lectured for UC Berkeley’s Management of Technology program.
Dedicated to promoting diversity throughout his tenure at UC Berkeley—as both student and faculty—Jean Paul Jacob passed away on April 7, 2019.
See also
External links
- Jean Paul Jacobs. Informatics - The future is not what it used to be.
- Rodolfo Lucena, Entrevista: Jean Paul Jacob - "Para cientista, reconhecimento de voz avança, mas ainda é insuficiente", Folha de S.Paulo, Março, 2008.
- Sidney Lage Nogueira, "Jean Paul Jacob é o DESTAQUE ITEANO", AEITA Online, Agosto, 2006.
- José Edward, Entrevista: Jean Paul Jacob - "O celular será um supercomputador" , Revista VEJA, Ed. Especial, Novembro, 2005.
- Biografia: Jean Paul Jacob, ITA, 2003.
- Cora Rónai, Entrevista: "Jean Paul Jacob e suas idéias a respeito do futuro", O Globo, Agosto 2000.
- Elisa Andries, Entrevista: "Jean Paul Jacob fala do futuro da Internet", Internet World, Junho, 1998.
- Marcelo Min, Entrevista: Jean Paul Jacob - "A privacidade acabou", Revista ISTOÉ, Junho, 1998.