St. Louis, Sept. 27, 2000 -- Christopher I. Byrnes, Ph.D., dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, was installed as the first Edward H. and Florence G. Skinner Professor in Systems Science and Mathematics Sept. 20 in a Lopata Hall Gallery ceremony.
Byrnes’ field is systems science and control. Among his research interests are feedback design in automatic control, nonlinear dynamics and control, and estimation and filtering. He has applied his research over two decades in aerospace, electrical power systems, signal processing and speech synthesis, among other areas.
"It is fitting that Dean Byrnes receive this distinction in light of his dedication to his field and the school and University he represents," said Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton. "He is known far and wide for his research, teaching and leadership skills and the commitment and enthusiasm he brings to each. I am especially impressed that the senior faculty of the Department of Systems Science and Mathematics recommended Dean Byrnes to me as the most deserving recipient of this new professorship in their department. Chris Byrnes will honor the Farrow family as the Skinner Professor."
The professorship was established by Florence Skinner Farrow in honor of her parents. Farrow’s mother, Florence Garrell Schade Skinner, graduated from Washington University in 1902 with a degree in civil engineering. She was said to be the only woman civil engineer in St. Louis. She married Edward Skinner, whom she had met at the University, later the same year. Florence Skinner died in 1906 at the age of 24, following an illness after the birth of her daughter.
Farrow’s father attended the University and received a medical degree from St. Louis University in 1904. He became a prominent physician in the Kansas City area. He was a founder of the Kansas City Southwest Clinical Society in 1923 and was a leader in several national radiological associations. He died in 1953.
Farrow was born in St. Louis and received a scholarship to the University. She earned a bachelor’s in English with highest honors in 1926, followed by a master’s in English a year later.
Farrow has been a generous benefactor of the arts and higher education, including Washington University and the engineering school. Many students attend the University on Florence Skinner Farrow endowed scholarships, and, in addition to the Skinner professorship in systems science and mathematics, there also is a Joseph H. and Florence Farrow professorship in biomedical engineering.
In 1997, Farrow received the Dean’s Medal, recognizing her outstanding support and lasting impact on the school. Farrow died Feb. 23, 1999, at the age of 93.
Byrnes was appointed dean of the engineering school July 1, 1991, and oversees 1,100 undergraduate students, 750 graduate students and a faculty of 85. He joined the faculty as professor of systems and control and chair of the Department of Systems Science and Mathematics in 1989.
Byrnes is a native of New York City. He received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Manhattan College in 1971, and master’s and Ph.D. degrees, also in mathematics, from the University of Massachusetts in 1973 and 1975, respectively. He began his academic career as an instructor of mathematics at the University of Utah in 1975. He joined the Harvard University faculty in 1978 as an assistant professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Mathematics and the Division of Applied Science. He was promoted in 1983 to associate professor on the Gordon McKay Endowment in the Division of Applied Science.
He has also taught at Arizona State University and has held visiting appointments at institutions in Europe, Japan and the former USSR, as well as in the United States.
A recipient of many honors, Byrnes was appointed honorary doctor of technology by Sweden’s Royal Institute of Technology in 1998. Byrnes serves on the board of directors of several corporations and is chairman of the board of the Center for Emerging Technologies in St. Louis.
Byrnes and his wife, Catherine Morris Byrnes, have three children, Kathleen, Alison and Christopher Jr.
Contact: Tony Fitzpatrick 314-935-5272; tony_fitzpatrick@aismail.wustl.edu