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Albert R. Braunmuller, a member of the UCLA English Department faculty for more than a half century, died Jan. 14. He was 79 years old.

Braunmuller was an acclaimed scholar best known for his expertise on Shakespeare and the English Renaissance.

“He was probably the best editor of Renaissance English drama of his generation — wise, wide-ranging and eagle-eyed — while also doing excellent work on 20th century drama,” said Robert Watson, a UCLA distinguished professor and longtime colleague. “He was a real pro, producing deeply learned monographs and collaborative volumes, but also an enthusiast with a playful spirit.”

Braunmuller published dozens of books, including, as editor or general editor, numerous titles in the New Pelican Shakespeare series; as co-editor, the “Cambridge Companion to English Renaissance Drama” (1990); and, as author, “Natural Fictions: George Chapman’s Major Tragedies” (1992). He served for decades as an editorial board member of the journal “Renaissance Drama,” and for more than 20 years as co-editor of “Viator: Medieval and Renaissance Studies.”

Beyond his considerable publishing output, Braunumuller was also a celebrated teacher. He won the Harvey L. Eby Award for the Art of Teaching in 1980, and he was the 1994-96 recipient of UCLA’s Gold Shield Faculty Prize, which recognizes outstanding undergraduate teaching, research and service. (Now an annual award, the prize was presented biennially at the time.)

“Al was an absolutely brilliant teacher at every level, setting high standards for his students — often said, but seldom truer — while keeping them engaged with his razor-sharp wit as well as his vast and detailed knowledge,” Watson said.

Braunmuller earned three degrees in English literature: a bachelor’s from Stanford University in 1967, and his master’s and doctorate from Yale University in 1970 and 1971, respectively. He joined UCLA in 1971 as an assistant professor of English and reached the rank of full professor in 1982.