Homegrown computer science expert to be honoured at University of Saskatchewan convocation

When he was a little boy growing up in Estevan, Sask., Eric Grimson says he was a strange little kid who loved working with numbers.

These days, Grimson is an internationally recognized researcher and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and an expert in computer science and artificial intelligence.

Today, Grimson will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Science at the University of Saskatchewan's convocation ceremonies, in honour of his accomplishments. He spoke to CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning about his career and what it's like to receive this accolade from his home province.

"I'm both humbled and honoured," he said. "It's something that's a surprise, not something that you'd expect, and I feel very humbled and honoured that the university has chosen to recognize me."

Grimson graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Regina in 1975, then went on to receive a PhD in mathematics from MIT. There, he developed some of the first computer systems to help neurosurgeons perform brain surgery.

"We used computers to build very detailed models of the inside of a patient's brain," he said. "The surgeon could then insert instruments through narrow openings, so you don't have a lot of damage to the patient, and yet see through skin and bone, to see where exactly the tips of the instruments were."

Grimson has also been a pioneer in learning over the internet. One of the online courses he created has been taken by more than 500,000 students all around the world.

He said it's vital that students take a hard look at what they want to accomplish with their careers, and not to worry about travelling far from home to accomplish that.

"You can't guarantee that it's going to work out, but set your sights high," he said. "Believe that you can do it. Coming from the prairies can be an asset, not a liability."