Dr. Edward Tufte to Address School in May as Fifth Annual Krause Fellow
By Andrew Kim ’10
News Staff Reporter
On Thursday, May 3rd at 7:30 pm, this year’s Krause Fellow, Dr. Edward Tufte, will address the school. Selected by the Math Department, he will be the fifth Krause Fellow to date.
The prestigious Krause Fellowship was endowed in 2001 by Milwaukee businessman Charles Krause. An alumnus of Choate (‘51) and Yale, Krause wanted to give students an opportunity to learn from notable individuals whose expertise in their fields could give students a taste of future occupations. The list of previous Krause Fellows is short, but impressive: Professor Richard Brodhead, Robert Fagles, Samantha Power and most recently, Dr. Henry Lee, a forensic scientist who was brought in by the science department.
Dr. Tufte is a Professor Emeritus at Yale University, and has taught Statistical Evidence, Information Design, and Interface Design courses. He has written seven books, and he plans to base his presentation at Choate on his newest publication, “Beautiful Evidence.” The book presents an interesting take on evidence and the beauty within—whether it is mathematical, artistic, scientific, historical, or musical. His other works are in the fields of landscape sculpture, printmaking, video, and writing.
At the beginning of this school year, the Math Department was assigned to choose this year’s Krause Fellow. During the brainstorming process, Mr. Goodyear suggested Dr. Tufte. By vote, a departmental majority chose the Yale professor as the next Krause Fellow.
Among Dr. Tufte’s qualifications for this position is his unique expertise. Given the wide range of mathematical abilities within Choate Rosemary Hall, finding a mathematician who could both be interesting to and understood by all of the students posed quite a challenge. Dr. Tufte’s interest in evidence can be enjoyed without prior knowledge of more advanced mathematical fields.
His distinguished persona and knowledge will surely inspire the student body to reexamine its views on mathematics and data analysis. As the New York Times put it, “[Dr. Tufte] is the Leonardo Da Vinci of data.”
Dr. Edward Tufte is a Professor Emeritus at Yale University. PHOTO/Contributed Photo
