SUNNYVALE, CA, April 10, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Richard Roderick Burton, PhD, with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Burton celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Richard received a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the California Institute of Technology in 1970. While there, he discovered that his true passion lie in using computers to improve education. After Cal Tech, Richard attended the University of California at Irvine to research how to use Artificial Intelligence to build tutoring systems alongside Dr. John Seely Brown, his thesis advisor.
During Richard's graduate studies Dr. Brown accepted a job at Bolt, Beranek, and Newman in Cambridge, MA. Richard moved with him and they continued their collaboration there for five years. During this time, they developed seminal artificial intelligence-based tutoring systems in the fields of electronic trouble-shooting (SOPHIE), basic logical thinking (BLOCKS), and mathematics (WEST, BUGGY and DEBUGGY). Richard completed his thesis titled "Semantic Grammar" and was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Information and Computer Science by the University of California Irvine in 1976.
In 1978, Richard joined the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in Palo Alto, California where he continued to focus on education and broadened his work to include making computers easier to use. He published more than a dozen journal articles, research papers and book chapters covering topics on reactive learning environments, intelligent tutoring systems, and computer coaching.
In 1987 Richard became Manager of the User Systems Research Group at Xerox PARC, a group of two dozen researchers focused on all aspects of human-computer interaction. In 1992 he was a co-recipient of the ACM Software Systems Award for INTERLISP, the most prestigious award for computer software.
During this time, Richard became affiliated with the Institute for Research on Learning in Palo Alto. Richard worked with linguists, cognitive psychologists, sociologists, educators and computer scientists to come to an interdisciplinary theory about what learning is and how it can be facilitated.
In 1990, Richard opened his own consulting company which focused on helping companies get new technologies into products. One of the projects he managed was a finalist for the ComputerWorld Smithsonian Award in Education and Academia for 1993.
In 1998, Richard returned to Xerox PARC as the manager of the Distributed Systems Area of the Computer Science Lab.
In 2004, Richard was recruited by Acuitus, Inc. to develop novel computer tutors that provide an exceptional one-on-one learning experience to students. Over the next fifteen years, the team at Acuitus succeeded dramatically, producing an 18-week course in network and Windows system administration that is taught 90% by computers and trains high school graduates to be comparable to expert ITs with ten years of experience. The course has been used to train newly enlisted United State Navy personnel for duty and to help unemployed veterans find high paying jobs.
Outside of his full-time commitment to the field of computer science Dr. Burton is heavily involved in health and healing and trained in the Feldenkrais method. He is a charter fellow in the association for computing machinery the world's largest computing society. This society brings together computing educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field's challenges. He has been inducted into the University of California Irvine Information and Computer Science Hall of Fame. Dr Burton is also showcased in the third edition is Whos's Who in Science and Engineering.
What separates Dr. Burton from other researchers in this field is his focus on real world problems. He has dedicated his time to try to improve education and has found it a great opportunity for him to develop his ideas and shape them to make sense in the real world. Growing up as the child of two teachers, education was regarded is highly important in this household --Dr. Burton was exposed education early on in life. He would like to be remembered as somebody with integrity who has worked hard to solve difficult technical problems.
In addition to his passion for learning, Dr. Burton enjoys the adventure of it. He finds a thrill in the challenge of pursuing something difficult, an attribute he has cultivated through high levels of achievement in a number of sports. Notably, he has sailed in the Pacific Cup sail boat race from San Francisco, CA to Kaneohe, HI twice, the Long Beach, CA to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico race (twice) and the Sydney to Hobart, Australia race. He has participated in the United State Volleyball Association National Championships three times, finishing 7th twice. And in the last fifteen years has won his division in the United States Adult Soccer Associations national championship tournament five times.
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