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About Robert Burton

Robert Preece Burton is a Professor of Computer Science at Brigham Young University. Prior to his affiliation with the BYU faculty in 1974, he was employed as an experimental systems engineer at Bell Laboratories. He received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Utah in 1973 under the tutelage of Ivan E. Sutherland. His dissertation is entitled Real-time Measurement of Multiple Three-dimensional Positions. He received an Honors Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Physics from the University of Utah in 1969. His bachelor's thesis is entitled Computerized Identification of X-ray Diffraction and Infrared Patterns. He terminated his high school studies in Europe in 1964 to accept Early Admissions with Honors at Entrance to the University of Utah.

Shortly after his affiliation with the BYU faculty, Professor Burton established the Hyperspace Research Group, the Computer Science Department's oldest, continuous research project. He has been a Senior Scientist and Principal Investigator for Hyperspace Research at the Eyring Research Institute. Professor Burton has authored or co-authored 29 publications related to hyperspace graphics, and has made numerous presentations at conferences, universities, and research institutions in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. He has authored or co-authored 23 additional publications related to computer graphics. He has produced holograms and motion pictures depicting hyperdimensional phenomena.

Between 1978 and 1981, Professor Burton attended the J. Reuben Clark Law School emphasizing Information Privacy and Transborder Data Flows. He has authored or co-authored 7 publications related to these subjects, and had made presentations at conferences and universities in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. In 1983, he was an invited guest (and Ex-officio Member, U.S. State Department Delegation) to the OECD International Symposium on Information, Computer and Communications Policy, held in London, England. In 1984, he was an invited participant (and the only representative from the United States) at the Council of Europe International Conference on Problems in Data Protection Legislation, held in Madrid, Spain.

Professor Burton has authored or co-authored an additional 10 publications on other computer science topics.

Professor Burton regularly teaches course in computer graphics at Brigham Young University. He has developed and taught similar courses for IBM Corporation, Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation, and Unisys. Over the past quarter century, he has taught courses in several computer science subject areas.

He has been a consultant for Ford Motor Company, IBM Corporation, Smith Kline & French International Company, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (where he was the Executive Consultant for Data Protection and Transborder Data Flows), and has been retained by prominent law firms as an expert witness.

He has supervised 34 completed master's theses.

In 1998 he received a Computer Science Department Teacher of the Year award. In 1989 he received the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Teaching Award. In 1985 he received the Karl G. Maeser Research and Creative Arts Award. He is a member of six honor societies.

He and his wife Lara reside live with their sons Tom and Forrest in the Sundance recreational and arts community. Family interests and activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dogsledding, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, SCUBA diving, sport climbing, archery, and biking.

Research Interests