Nicholas Pippenger, Professor, Department of Computer Science, The University of British Columbia, is a world leader in theoretical computer science. His dozens of papers on switching networks have earned him the reputation of being the world expert in the field. He has also made fundamental contributions to Boolean circuit complexity, algebraic function complexity, and theory of parallel computation. He is noted both for his technical prowess and mathematical erudition. His results use tools from analysis, algebra, combinatorics, probability theory, coding theory, and information theory. His selection as an IBM Fellow and an IEEE Fellow and his technical achievement awards demonstrate that many of his results have practical importance in addition to their mathematical depth and elegance.