September 27-29, 2006

 

ITEM 132-2002-R0906                Authorization to Confer the Title of Professor Emeritus of Mathematics upon Richard Gillette; Montana State University-Bozeman

 

THAT:                                       Upon the occasion of the retirement of Richard Gillette from the faculty of Montana State University, the Board of Regents wishes to express its appreciation for his service to the University, the Montana University System, and the people of the State of Montana.

 

EXPLANATION:                        Dr. Richard Gillette received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Nevada in 1957 and his Ph.D.in Mathematics from the University of Utah in 1962.  That fall he joined the faculty at the University of Oregon, eventually coming to the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Montana State University in the fall of 1967. He spent the next 39 years at MSU, serving as an excellent teacher and advisor.

 

 Over the years, Dr. Gillette has spent time away from MSU working on research projects. In 1978-79, while on sabbatical, he had a visiting appointment in the Mathematics Department at Tulane University. During that time he coauthored the research monograph "Banach Bundles, Banach Modules, and Automorphisms of C* Algebras" with Maurice Dupre, published in the series Research Notes in Mathematics. In 1981-82 he spent a year in Washington, D.C. working at the Statistics of Income Division of the IRS. He is a tireless gentleman and mathematician, who, over the years, has been involved in research and publication with many faculty in the department.

 

 Dr. Gillette has seen the growth and development of the graduate programs in mathematics since his arrival in Bozeman. He directed the dissertation work of two Ph.D. students. He has served on the graduate committees of many MSU graduate students. His teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels has always been superb.

 

 Dr. Gillette is still active in teaching and research at Montana State University. He attends research seminars regularly. He continues to supervise and mentor Graduate Teaching Assistants as they develop into professional mathematics educators. He is a great asset to the university and the state of Montana.

 

 For these and other contributions, the Board of Regents of Higher Education is pleased to confer upon Richard Gillette the rank of Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at Montana State University, and wishes him well for many years in the future.