# Phil Bernstein

> American database researcher

**Wikidata**: [Q7181706](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7181706)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Bernstein)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/phil-bernstein

## Summary
Phil Bernstein (also known as Philip Alan Bernstein or Philip A. Bernstein) is an American computer scientist and database researcher. He has been affiliated with Microsoft since 1994 and is recognized by major professional honors including the SIGMOD Edgar F. Codd Innovations Award (1994), ACM Fellow (2001), and AAAS Fellow (2016).

## Biography
- Born: 1949
- Nationality: United States
- Education: PhD, University of Toronto (completed 1975)
- Known for: Database research in computer science
- Employer(s): Microsoft (from 1994); previously Digital Equipment Corporation; Wang Institute of Graduate Studies; Harvard University
- Field(s): Computer science

## Contributions
The provided sources identify Phil Bernstein as an American database researcher and computer scientist with a long career spanning academia and industry. He has been affiliated with Microsoft since 1994. Earlier in his career, he worked with Digital Equipment Corporation and held affiliations with the Wang Institute of Graduate Studies and Harvard University.  

Bernstein’s academic lineage is documented: his doctoral advisor was Dennis Tsichritzis, and he later supervised doctoral students including Rachel Pottinger and Johann Christoph Freytag. His professional recognition includes receiving the SIGMOD Edgar F. Codd Innovations Award (1994). He was named an ACM Fellow (with fellowship status associated with 2001) and was also elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2016.  

The sources also provide multiple scholarly identifier records for Bernstein (e.g., DBLP author page, Google Scholar author ID, MathSciNet author ID, zbMATH author ID, VIAF, Open Library), indicating an established publication and authorship footprint in the research ecosystem, though specific titles and publication years are not included in the supplied material.

## FAQs
### Q: Who is Phil Bernstein?
A: Phil Bernstein is an American computer scientist and database researcher. He has been affiliated with Microsoft since 1994 and has received major honors including the SIGMOD Edgar F. Codd Innovations Award (1994) and ACM Fellow (2001).

### Q: Where did Phil Bernstein study?
A: He earned a PhD from the University of Toronto, completed in 1975. The sources do not provide additional degree details beyond this doctorate.

### Q: What organizations has Phil Bernstein worked for?
A: The sources list Microsoft (from 1994), Digital Equipment Corporation, the Wang Institute of Graduate Studies, and Harvard University as employers/affiliations.

### Q: What awards and honors has Phil Bernstein received?
A: He received the SIGMOD Edgar F. Codd Innovations Award (1994), was named an ACM Fellow (2001), and was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2016).

## Why They Matter
Phil Bernstein matters in computer science because the sources position him as a recognized, award-winning database researcher with sustained influence across both industry and academia. His long-term affiliation with Microsoft (beginning in 1994) places him within a major technology organization where database and data-management research has broad downstream impact on software systems and practices.  

His recognition by the database community is evidenced by the SIGMOD Edgar F. Codd Innovations Award (1994), an honor associated with innovation in database systems and research. His election as an ACM Fellow (2001) further indicates peer-recognized contributions to computing, and his AAAS Fellowship (2016) signals broader scientific impact beyond a single subfield.  

Bernstein’s documented mentorship links him to multiple generations of researchers: he was advised by Dennis Tsichritzis and later supervised doctoral students including Rachel Pottinger and Johann Christoph Freytag. These relationships reflect a lasting influence through training and research leadership. Even without specific publication titles in the provided sources, his multiple bibliographic identifiers (DBLP, MathSciNet, zbMATH, Google Scholar, VIAF) indicate a durable scholarly presence that supports discoverability and ongoing citation within the research community.

## Notable For
- SIGMOD Edgar F. Codd Innovations Award (1994)
- Affiliation with Microsoft as an employer starting in 1994
- Named an ACM Fellow (associated with 2001)
- Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2016
- Doctoral advisor: Dennis Tsichritzis; doctoral students include Rachel Pottinger and Johann Christoph Freytag

## Body
### Identity and Names
- Primary name: Phil Bernstein
- Aliases: Philip Alan Bernstein; Philip A. Bernstein
- Description (source): American database researcher
- Occupation: Computer scientist
- Sex or gender: Male
- Citizenship: United States

### Education
- University of Toronto
  - Degree: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
  - Completion/end time: 1975
- Doctoral advisor: Dennis Tsichritzis

### Career and Affiliations
- Microsoft
  - Employer with documented start time: 1994
- Other listed employers/affiliations (dates not provided in sources):
  - Digital Equipment Corporation
  - Wang Institute of Graduate Studies
  - Harvard University

### Research Field
- Field of work: Computer science

### Mentorship
- Doctoral students (as listed in sources):
  - Rachel Pottinger
  - Johann Christoph Freytag

### Honors and Recognition
- SIGMOD Edgar F. Codd Innovations Award
  - Point in time: 1994
- ACM Fellow
  - Point in time: 2001
  - Also listed via ACM membership/fellow designation
- Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  - Point in time: 2016

### Authority Control and Research Identifiers
- VIAF ID: 104308084
- Freebase ID: /m/0b8tgh
- DBLP author ID: b/PhilipABernstein
- Google Scholar author ID: 6OEYXEIAAAAJ
- MathSciNet author ID: 35735
- Mathematics Genealogy Project ID: 66219
- zbMATH author ID: bernstein.philip-a
- Open Library ID: OL543910A

### Reference Pages (as indicated by the dataset)
- Wikipedia title: Phil Bernstein
- Wikipedia languages listed: de, en, fa, pt, sw

## Schema Markup
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## References

1. [Source](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/people/philbe/)
2. [Source](https://sigmod.org/publications/interviews/pdf/7.phil-bernstein-final.pdf)
3. [Source](https://dl.acm.org/profile/81100134982)
4. [Source](https://awards.acm.org/fellows/award-recipients)
5. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20220321015113/https://www.aaas.org/news/2016-aaas-fellows-honored-advancing-science-serve-society)
6. Mathematics Genealogy Project