[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 84 (Thursday, May 18, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E467-E468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING DR. C.R. RAO FOR RECEIVING THE INTERNATIONAL PRIZE IN 
                               STATISTICS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 18, 2023

  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate Dr. 
Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao, or C.R. Rao, for receiving the 
International Prize in Statistics on April 1, 2023. Often referred to 
as the Nobel Prize for statistics, this award recognizes his seminal 
1945 work, Information and the Accuracy Attainable in the Estimation of 
Statistical Parameters, as fundamental to the modern field of 
statistics. This 2023 award comes after more than 80 years of profound 
contributions to statistics that continue to influence disciplines as 
diverse as medicine, computer science, genetics, and the social 
sciences. Dr. Rao has not only produced groundbreaking research; he has 
also supported and educated multiple generations of aspiring 
mathematicians and scientists.
  Dr. C.R. Rao was born as the 8th of 10 children to Telugu speaking 
parents in the southern Indian state of present-day Karnataka. He 
demonstrated an impressive comprehension of mathematics from an early 
age and received a master's degree in mathematics at just 19 from 
Andhra University. With a desire to pursue a research career, Dr. Rao 
would go on to positions at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in 
Kolkata; Kings College at the University of Cambridge; University of 
Illinois, Urbana; University of Buffalo; University of Pittsburgh; and 
Pennsylvania State University. Over his, long career, Dr. Rao has 
published more than 400 research papers; authored 14 books, and become 
among the most prominent statisticians in the world. In addition to the 
International Prize in Statistics, Dr. Rao is also a recipient of the 
National Medal of Science, presented to him by President George W. 
Bush, and the Padma Vibhushan, awarded to him by Indian President K.R. 
Narayanan.
  Throughout Dr. Rao's career, he has remained dedicated to supporting 
the next generation of statisticians and mathematicians. After 
completing his Ph.D. at Cambridge University under the guidance of the 
renowned statistician Sir Ronald Fisher, Dr. Rao returned to ISI so he 
could help develop the field of statistics in a newly independent 
India. In over 40 years at ISI, he developed a rich community of 
scholars. Dr. Rao's successful leadership inspired curiosity from 
colleagues around the world. He regularly welcomed visitors to Kolkata 
who wished to see firsthand his ability to spot talent and inspire 
young scholars to advance the fields of pure and applied mathematics, 
biology, genetics, economics, and other social sciences.
  At age 60, Dr. Rao moved to the United States to help establish at 
research center at the University of Pittsburgh and to continue his 
love of scholarship and teaching. But Dr. Rao never lost his commitment 
to Indian scholarship. He later founded the C.R. Rao Advanced Institute 
of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science at the University of 
Hyderabad, to further ensure that aspiring statisticians and 
mathematicians could receive a world-class education in India. In both 
the United States and India, Dr. Rao has advised the research of over 
50 Ph.D. candidates and many former students have carried Dr. Rao's 
influence into prominent roles in academia and government.
  While pursuing his impressive work, Dr. Rao remained a devoted 
husband and father throughout his life. His beloved wife, C. Bhargavi, 
remained with him for 69 years of marriage before her passing in 2017. 
She provided a constant source of support. Dr. Rao is now 102 years old 
and lives with his daughter in Amherst, NY. With the support of his 
daughter, Dr. Rao remains involved in the research community to this 
day.
  Mr. Speaker, I extend my deepest congratulations to Dr. Rao for being 
awarded the prestigious International Prize in Statistics. His 
dedication to advancing our understanding of mathematics is equal to 
none, both in his own work and through the countless former students 
who carry on his legacy.

[[Page E468]]

  

                          ____________________