Brian Cooper is a PhD candidate in the Department of Computer Science at Stanford University and a member of Stanford's Digital Library Project. His research interests include distributed systems, digital libraries and databases. His thesis work focuses on constructing a distributed digital archive of autonomous sites, and studies techniques for distributed resource allocation and peer-to-peer search. He expects to receive his PhD in the spring of 2003. In 2002, he worked at the IBM Almaden Research Center, where he developed SOAP capabilities for the DB2 Database System. In 1998, he worked at the IBM TJ Watson Research Center, where he studied adaptive dynamic Java compilation. From 1997 to 1998, he worked with the University of Colorado's compiler optimization group on techniques for profiling Java programs.

Brian graduated from the University of Colorado (with High Distinction) with a BS in computer science and a BA in chemistry, and was the recipient of the School of Engineering's Outstanding Graduate Award. At Colorado, he competed with the Speech and Debate Association, winning high honors in extemporaneous and impromptu speaking as well as debate, and served as the association's president. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi, Golden Key and Phi Beta Kappa.