Johannes Ledolter, (Alumnus 1970)

Robert Thomas Holmes Professor

I look back very fondly to my time at the Sommerhochschule in Strobl in 1970. My experience there as an Austrian student, on financial support, opened my eyes to the US academic system. One year later, I started my graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin, supported in part through a Fulbright grant. I finished my PhD in Statistics in 1975, and I have been teaching at universities ever since. I have been a professor at the University of Iowa for almost 40 years, but have also taught at Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and the University of Chicago. I have been a professor at the Vienna University of Business and Economics for 20 years, first 5 years as head of its statistics group and then 15 years on a part-time basis.

I remember fondly the close interaction with my teachers at Strobl. This was certainly very different from the Austrian University system of the 70s (and to a certain degree even today) where professors were always difficult to reach. I remember very well an overnight hike up to Dachstein as part of a small group that also included Professor Nussbaumer, a professor of economics at the University of Vienna. I had taken courses from him at the university, but in Vienna had never had the opportunity to interact with him on a personal level. American students in Strobl told me about the close interaction between students and professors at American universities. The experience at Strobl influenced me greatly to apply for a Fulbright scholarship and study in the United States. For that, I thank you.

Biography

Robert Thomas Holmes Professor, Department of Management Sciences and Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Iowa (USA); Professor (retired), Department of Statistics, Vienna University of Business and Economics (Austria);