Ann Boriack-Sjodin '92
Student
I was fortunate to perform summer research under Professors Bob Cave and Bill Sly in the summer of 1991. Bob was still at the beginning of his career at Mudd, Prof. Sly was approaching the end of his, yet I was able to see and experience the depth of their friendship and mutual respect for each other in their daily afternoon “Coke breaks”. After that summer, and thanks in large part to Prof. Cave’s encouragement, I changed the focus of my major and performed senior research with Prof. Sly, which led me to a PhD in Crystallography and a career in drug discovery.
I returned to visit HMC a few years after Bill Sly’s passing. Bob had saved a few of his friend’s crystallography books. Instead of keeping them for himself, he gave them to me, saying that he knew Bill would want me to have them. They are treasures to me, reminders of both mentors that gave me the opportunity and encouragement to find my passion.
Arran McNabb '06
Student and colleague
Bob Cave used to sit in the back of freshman chemistry in the fall of 2002, and most of the time we wouldn’t notice his presence. Until, of course, there was a mild chemistry joke made by the presenter, and Bob Cave would laugh his notoriously loud bark-laugh. And although none of us had laughed at the initial joke, there was always a chuckle after Bob laughed. His joy was infectious. We would say Bob was the ‘car-salesman of chemistry’ because his excitement for the subject and his enthusiasm some times made it seem like he was really going to sell you on studying his field.
Bob was also one of the chemistry professors that my friends and I really connected with when we came to HMC, and joined us some semesters for lunch or dinner off-campus. He really cared for students as individuals and made you feel special. When I came back to work at Mudd, seeing Bob around campus was always a joy. And I will miss him, always.
Ran Libeskind-Hadas
Colleague
Bob was an extraordinarily positive friend and colleague. He was full of life and saw the best in each of us. He was an exceptional teacher, colleague, and leader who listened well and treated everyone with great respect. Each of us who was touched by Bob’s kindness, generosity, and wisdom can aspire to pass that on to the next generation. Bob’s impact on our community will be lasting.
Chuck Williamson '90
Student
Bob arrived at Mudd when I was a junior, and I had the pleasure of taking some upper level PChem courses from him. He was an excellent instructor – clear, enthusiastic, and always so full of good cheer. Bob was also an excellent mentor. I reached out to him a couple of times when I was in graduate school and was not sure how to handle some research group politics. Bob welcomed my calls, was very reassuring, and had thoughtful advice to offer. He really helped me out.
I crossed paths again with Bob a few years ago at an ACS Conference in DC while he was working at NSF. I recall that he was excited about collaborative work he was doing with Bill Daub’s group, and was looking forward to returning to Mudd. I am thankful that I had another opportunity to talk with him at that time.
Kaitlyn Dwelle '15
Student
When I took Pchem as a Junior, it was Prof. Cave’s return to teaching after several years as the dean of faculty. With Prof. Van Hecke on sabbatical, Prof Cave, a theorist, was also teaching Pchem Lab as well. Although he was a theorist who didn’t often (ever?) teach lab courses, his contageous enthusiam and deep understanding of physical chemistry ultimately made it one of my favorite clases at Mudd.
Often, the workload at Mudd can be suffocating, and it can be easy to lose any enjoyment of learning and even easier to forget the importance of your own health and well-being. Prof. Cave genuinely cared for our well-being first, and was also an excellent teacher, researcher, thesis advisor, and advocate. I will miss him greatly.