What did you do right after we graduated?

I went to Cal Tech for my freshman year.  Then I transferred back to Michigan and graduated with a B.S. in mathematics.  I later went on to earn a Ph.D. in Applied Math from Harvard, and another Ph.D. in economics from Carnegie Mellon University.

What has been your occupation(s) over the past 50 years? Tell us about any highlights or cool things that you’ve been a part of.

Mostly, I've been a professor (of biomath, math, statistics, and economics), but I've also worked as a computer programmer, and as an economist for the Forest Service.

Where are you living?

I live in Salem, Oregon.

Are you retired? If so, what are you doing in retirement?

I'm retired from steady work, but still work out of my house as a consulting applied mathematician.  Check out my website: benfordappliedmath.com

Are you married? What’s your spouse’s name?

I'm married to Jean Hutchinson, who grew up in Charlottesville, VA. We met on a Sierra Club hike near Pittsburgh.

Do you have kids? Where are they & what are they up to?

I have a daughter, Julia, who's a junior in high school.  She'll be a new high school graduate when I attend my 50th year reunion.  I bet that I'm the last person in our class to reproduce.  Anybody out there with a first born younger than Julia?

How about grandchildren? How many? How old? Where are they? But wait! What about great grand-kids?!!?

No grandchildren!!

What’s your favorite hobby (or hobbies)?

The world is full of mysteries that I'd like to learn more about.  Why is the universe "fine-tuned"?  Why does time have a direction?  How does order emerge from complex systems?  What is consciousness?

Have you had any adventures you’d care to tell us about?

In the summer of 2010 Jean and I took a raft trip into the Grand Canyon that was pretty intense.  We rafted in from the North, then hiked out along the Bright Angel Trail to South Rim Village in Grand Canyon N.P.  That's an 8 mile hike with about a mile of elevation gain, and not something to be attempted casually in the summer.

 What else would you like us to know about?

I'm looking forward to seeing you all in the summer of 2013.