About the Peebles Memorial Lectures in Information Technology

The Peebles Memorial Lectures in Information Technology series sponsors one lecture per academic year in areas of information technology relevant to research, teaching, or creative activity in academe. Speakers are chosen by virtue of a mix of distinction in academic endeavors in information technology, innovation in its application, and iconoclastic views.

The series commemorates decades of service given to Indiana University by Dr. Christopher S. Peebles, former associate vice president for research and academic computing and dean for information technology. When Dr. Peebles stepped down as associate vice president in 2003, then-Vice President for Information Technology Michael McRobbie established an endowment through the IU Foundation to fund a lecture series in his honor. The series brings some of the sharpest minds in information technology to IU.

The 2021-22 Peebles Memorial Lecture in Information Technology was presented by Dr. David Crandall on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, in conjunction with the Research Services Expo in the Herman B Wells Library at Indiana University Bloomington. Dr. Crandall, Luddy School of Informatics and Computing Professor of Computer Science and Director of IU's Center for Machine Learning, presented "Computers That See: The Past, Present, and Future of Computer Vision". For more, see 2021-22 Peebles Memorial Lecture in Information Technology.

Dr. Christopher Peebles

"Chris was a distinguished scholar in multiple disciplines, an inveterate reader, and a leader who helped set the foundations for the excellent IT environment we enjoy at IU. This lecture series honors Chris's service and dedication to IU and to academia in general." Dr. Craig Stewart Executive Director Pervasive Technology Institute Indiana University

To help fund the Peebles Memorial Lectures in Information Technology donations may be made to the "Christopher S. Peebles Lecture Series" through the IU Foundation.

About Dr. Christopher Peebles: Dr. Peebles came to IU in 1985 as director of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology. His career at IU uniquely encompassed both anthropology and information technology. His interest in formal organizations and their cultures' effect on quality of corporate performance led to a key role in bringing vital cost and quality management programs to IU's central information technology organization. Dr. Peebles served twice as interim chief information officer at IU. Dr. Peebles has published and made important contributions in several distinct fields (anthropology, information science, quality management, and information technology), and was active in the IU community and faculty governance.

In 2009, Dr. Peebles was awarded the 2009 Thomas Hart Benton Mural Medallion. Also in 2009, the 74th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology honored his career with a symposium entitled "Mounds, Towns, Theories, and Numbers: Celebrating the Career of Christopher S. Peebles".

Dr. Peebles retired from IU in 2009 and passed away in 2012.