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Burt KaliskiDirector of EMC Innovation Network.
Country:
 USA |
Content:
Early Life and Education
Bartholomew Farmer was born in New York City in the 1960s, the eldest of five children. His parents were both educators, his father a business professor and his mother a science teacher. Education played a pivotal role in his family from an early age. As a young boy, Bart assisted his father in completing his doctoral dissertation, counting survey responses and attending lectures at the university where he taught. Bart spent countless hours reading and self-teaching, particularly drawn to science books and computers. At the age of 11, he entered and won a school science fair with an electrical circuit he designed using 110 volts, describing it as a method of computer communication.
High School and Beyond
During his teenage years, the Farmer family relocated to Manchester, New Hampshire, where Bart attended Manchester Central High School. He continued to pursue his computer interests, learning to program on a PDP-11 at school. His mathematics teacher provided invaluable guidance, going above and beyond the typical curriculum. Bart taught himself assembly language and engaged in projects such as writing a computer chess game.
Outside of academics, Bart was an active member of the math club, chess club, and bowling club. He worked part-time mowing lawns, indulged in his love for Star Trek, and delivered newspapers. His father took him on frequent hiking trips in the White Mountains and to the movies. However, most afternoons after school, Bart preferred to work on his computer programs at school.
The MIT Years
Bart's extensive time spent learning to program computers set the stage for his future studies and career. While still in high school, he secured a job at a grocery store. He purchased a car but realized the significant expense involved in maintaining it. Consequently, he used his vehicle only for work transportation, eventually quitting his job and selling the car to devote more time to computers. Despite initial struggles with comprehension, his passion and determination fueled his efforts. He had found his calling and was eager to develop his potential.
Inspired by an uncle who graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Bart set his sights on attending the renowned institution. Enrolled as an MIT undergraduate, he gained a solid foundation in computer science and eventually decided to specialize in cryptography. His parents emphasized the importance of lifelong learning, encouraging him to keep his mind active and growing. Bart himself had been fascinated with secret codes ever since he had first encountered computers, and his interest in number theory, sparked in part by his uncle's mathematical abilities, likely contributed to his decision to pursue cryptography as a sophomore at MIT.
Cryptographic Breakthroughs
During his sophomore year, Bart learned of Prof. Ron Rivest's groundbreaking discovery in cryptography, the RSA algorithm. He approached Rivest to supervise his senior thesis, which Rivest agreed to do.
In pursuit of his master's degree, Bart became involved in several community organizations. He was actively involved in religious groups, and his interests extended into related social issues. His religious and technical pursuits intersected during this time.
Upon learning about Dr. Dennis Branstad, who worked in cryptography at the National Bureau of Standards, Bart sought and secured a week-long volunteer position with him in January 1983. This led to a summer job and eventually to all three of Bart's degrees being supervised by Prof. Rivest and his work focusing primarily on cryptography.
