Pollak, Edward 1932-2012

POLLAK

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 6/28/2016 at 10:19:50

Edward Pollak
Ames
1932 - 2012

Edward Pollak, son of Helen and Adolf Pollak, was born in New York City on June 29, 1932 and died at Mercy Hospital, Des Moines, Iowa on October 6, 2012. He attended an Agricultural Specialty high school in New York City and went on to earn a B.S. in Botany from Cornell University in 1954, an M.S. in Experimental Statistics from North Carolina State College in 1956, and a PhD in Mathematical Statistics from Columbia University in 1964.

Dr. Pollak was an instructor in the Department of Mathematics and Astronomy at Lehigh University in 1963 through 1964. In 1964, Dr. Pollak joined Iowa State University faculty with a joint appointment; Statistics as well as Zoology and Genetics. He retired as an Emeritus Professor in the aforementioned departments in 2000. During his tenure, he was elected a Fellow of the American Statistical Association in 1974. He supervised the work of five PhD students and fifteen M.S. students.

Throughout his professional career his research interests were Mathematical, Population and Quantitative Genetics, focusing on how the genetic composition of populations is influenced by selection, mutation, migration, systems of mating and finite size. He published extensively on statistical processes with important applications to animal and plant breeding and continued to publish after retirement. Dr. Pollak reviewed computer statistical systems and was a member of the editorial board of the journal, Mathematical Biosciences.

Edward Pollak was active in politics and music. He served on the Board of Town and Gown. He will be missed as a colleague, as a friend, and as a member of the Iowa State University community.

A Celebration of Dr. Pollak's life will be held on Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 1 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames, 1015 N. Hyland Avenue, Ames, IA. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/desmoinesregister/obituary.aspx?pid=161282579#sthash.KXGL2wJ2.dpuf ~ The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa Wed 28 Nov 2012.