Ernest Burniston
by Hans Sagan(from The Harrelson News, 1979-80)
Ernest E. Burniston was born on October 10, 1937 in Sheffield (United Kingdom). A precocious child, he developed at an early age an irresistible craving to become Head of the Mathematics Department at North Carolina State University. All his subsequent strange activities, such as attending the University of London where he earned a B. Sc. in Mathematics in 1960 and a Ph. D. in 1962, his tenure as a lecturer at Sir John Cass College, University of London, from 1962 to 1965, and his move across the Atlantic in 1965, can only be understood in this context.
In 1965, he joined our Mathematics Department as an Assistant Professor, was promoted to an Associate Professorship in 1968, and a full Professorship in 1972.
His research interests lie in the areas of Fracture Mechanics and transport Theory as attested to by his many publications in these areas, his supervision of Master1s and Ph. D. theses, and his participation in several sponsored research projects.
He served the Mathematical community as a referee for the Mathematics magazine and still serves as a referee for the SIAM Journal of Applied Mathematics, the International Journal of Engineering Science, the International Journal of Fracture Mechanics, Transport Theory and Statistical Physics, and a reviewer for the Zentralblatt.
He served the academic community at North Carolina State University ably and faithfully on numerous Departmental and University committees, as a member of the Faculty Senate and, during the academic year 1979, as Chairman of the Faculty Senate.
For the academic year 1973-74 he was a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Glasgow (Scotland), and in the summer for 1975 a Visiting Professor at the Atomic Energy Institute in Sao Paulo Brazil.
Music lovers know him as an accomplished clarinetist who enhanced the Raleigh music scene with many public appearances. He is an ardent saltwater sailor, and has also been know to churn up driveways with his low-slung sports car.
After a courtship of suitable length and intensity, he married his wife Bella, on July 11, 1959.
In 1971 he renounced forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign Prince, Potentate, State, sundry Ayatollahs, or Sovereignty whatever, and particularly to the queen to the Unite Kingdom of Great Britain, and became a United States citizen.
On July 1, 1980, he reached his life long goal: he was anointed as Head of our Mathematics department. He has our best wishes for a successful tenure and our unending support.