Fund: Malempati M. Rao Graduate Student Award in Mathematics Fund Department: Mathematics Dept D01056 Purpose: Graduate Student Support Fund Purpose: This Fund shall be used to provide support for graduate students in the Department of Mathematics. BACKGROUND Dr. Malempati M. Rao was born Malempati Madhusudana Rao in the village of Nimmagadda in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India on June 6, 1929. He came to the United States after completing his studies at the College of Andhra University and the Presidency College of Madras University. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1959 at the University of Minnesota under the supervision of Monroe Donsker (as well as Bernard R. Gelbaum, Leonid Hurwicz, and I. Richard Savage). His first academic appointment was at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now called Carnegie Mellon University) in 1959. In 1972, he joined the faculty at the University of California, Riverside. He remained at UC Riverside until his retirement in 2011. He has held visiting positions at the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton), the Indian Statistical Institute, University of Vienna, University of Strassbourg, and the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (Berkeley). In 1966 he married Durgamba Kolluru in India. They have twin daughters Leela and Uma and one granddaughter. Dr. Rao’s research interests were initially in probability and mathematical statistics, but his intense mathematical interest and natural curiosity found him pursuing a wide range of mathematical analysis including stochastic processes, functional analysis, ergodic theory and related asymptotics, differential equations and difference equations. His breadth of interest is mirrored by his students, many of whom are recognized as experts in diverse fields such as measure theory, operator theory, partial differential equations and stochastic processes. Dr. Rao has always strived for complete understanding and generality in mathematics and rarely accepts less from others. This view of mathematics has played a significant role in his teaching. Dr. Rao is truly a gifted lecturer, and he has inspired many generations of students. Dr. Rao’s first Ph.D. student completed his degree in 1964, while his last student finished in 1996. During that span, Dr. Rao directed 19 Ph.D. students and the guidance and mentoring he provided them has led to many of his students becoming successful mathematicians. Many of Dr. Rao’s students have remained devoted to him, decades after completing their degrees. Their loyal devotion arises from Dr. Rao’s complete dedication to them. He consistently put their concerns and welfare as his priority. Dr. Rao is prolific writer, and his writings include mathematical publications and Indian poetry. He wrote poetry in his late teenage years and had a collection of his poems published when he was 21. His mathematical research publications are many and span six decades. He has published over 120 research articles and 13 textbooks, some of which are now in their second editions. General Purpose This Fund shall be used to provide support for graduate students in the Department of Mathematics. Criteria and Selection Process: The Department of Mathematics Graduate Committee will select one or two graduate students per year from those who apply and meet all of the following criteria: - They are specializing in the Probability or Functional Analysis within the Department of Mathematics - They are in good academic standing Based on students who apply and upon recommendation from the committee, one or two recipients will be selected each year for the next 5 years. If one recipient is selected, they will receive $10,000. If two recipients are selected, each will receive $5,000. In years when there is no candidate who meets the criteria, awards will be held until the following year.