Pratt Institute - Prattonia Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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Powell Benedict Programmer Analyst Powell Benedict was grac vatea in October 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science Four days after he finished his course work at Pratt he began graduate studies in artificial intelligence at the University of Illinois - Champaign Urbana, where he took his master’s degree. He is now with Grumman Data Systems, a subsidiary of Grumman Aerospace, doing research and publishing in automation, expert systems, and le: ming systems. He intends to begin doctoral work in the fall of 1988 at either Stony Brook or New York | Iniversit y My career began at Pratt; my i mother, Nan Benedict, taught here tor many years, and | knew everyone here. | transterre: Hamilton College and, because my background Herb lesser, the ‘ hairperson of Computer Science allowed me to doa loto specia projects ar d more advanced work | was able to aet into his office and talk to him {other students were able to do the same thing) as! would not have been able to do at Illinois which has about 36,000 students. A a result | ac omplished much more at Pratt which had much higher stan dords. Herb would allow us tod independent study, but whereas other students were required to answer only six out of ten final exan ination questions, we were required to answer all ten. | now get the chance to thank Pratt for this every eft Pratt day because Herb, who while | was at Illinois, is now my boss here at Grumman fer science As tor advising compu students who are graduating this year, | usually don’t have much advice for anybor ly, but I'd say that YOu should study hard. You don’t have time to go back nsome o tmy ear lier courses | didn't work as hard as should have, an { |now reoret if Aj Becmyit Se ioe ere AISO, if yOu re interested in researc and in being able to explore areas that interest YOU, don’t siop with the bachelor's degree. The undergradu- y want ate degree is okay if you on to earn a salary and take orders trom someone else, but if you want to explore areas that interest y | advise that you pay attention and get a graduate degree To summarize Pratt Institute is hard When | think about it, | get kind of sentimental, because | had a real good time there. | liked the school and | liked the people who worked there YOu, | a ‘

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My { letinitive advice speech | qave at the mencement. Among other thinas, | believe that you have to be true to your own tfaient to develop it, TO pusl ttords limits. You hove to be ieve in yourself and the work you lo if YOu re Tale nted. vot on make t, Every job is an icon, the most im portant job in the world. Put in the hy urs; YOU have to be competitive f } rent f na enere pedaet } } be. J f ‘ y eg ene yy You nove tot jt every Igy. ‘50 your Own way; Gon ft tak iny shit. Produce the best yo Ind remember that this drive hast ntinue every second of vour life Make manly or womar 1 f i q wardly ne the stre tif cr t ¢ forw ra Pratt w 1 Q0dsend to me ' George Lois Creative Director weorde LOIS receive aan hy nor Wy Doctor of Fine Art: dearee from Pratt in 1982. He attended Pratt in 1949-50 and lett to take o job with the great ae Siqner Rel ag SO his After SeIVING ine army in Korea he worked for William Golden at CBS-TV and then Bernbach in the late fifties and, in 1960, started PKL, his own firm. He: irrently Choimmar t the Ry ard and reative Director ot | f if ersnor! io Pp ma ron, a New York aavertisina , ‘ j gency. in 7 2 he arted the Art Uirectors’ Hall of Fame. to which he } elf was elected o tew vears lot J Wy changed my life. The Foundation year was okay, Dut in the second year | met a really areat teacher Herschel Levit. Oh my mind, He made wow! He blew me really under stand, mainly by loosenina my sh. Pratt « lid everythir gq tor me i hanaed my lite tor the pest, ona j ' pointed the airection lor my whole lite. (On the first day of school, | saw this fantastic woman, sidled up to her, and had a buddy take a pict ot us. She Smy Wi years, and | have « halt hour alter meeting her.) Every was important to me because | brought the chance tor something t happen, tor something to atlect my whole lite omethina to put me i the riqht direction. Shit, mi lite wondertul: h Wve tun with i Be te rit he on he de of the mae Pratt gave me lite