Memories of Robert, Page 14

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Bill Daub

Colleague and Friend

I first met Bob when he was a postdoc and visiting the west coast during a winter holiday. We had lunch over Chinese food and I immediately knew we would get along well together. He had a great sense of humor, was fun to talk with, … and had that infectious laugh. I was so pleased he agreed to join us at HMC. He was a wonderful teacher who brought both rigor and a contagious joy to the classroom. But most importantly he had a great ability to read students and work with them wherever they were in the classroom or in life. He never stopped searching for a deeper understanding about the things he knew to be true. I will never forget the phrase Bob used often, “I wish I understood everything I know about that.” Curious to the end, he was doing research the last time we spoke. I dropped by his office and we chatted behind masks, not knowing it was good-bye. Rest easy, my friend.

Karl Haushalter

Colleague

Bob was the very first person that I met during my interview at Harvey Mudd in 2002 and he immediately put me at ease with his warmth and humor. I distinctly remember him talking with me about going boogie-boarding with his sons at Newport Beach. During my candidate presentation the next day, he was smiling brightly at me the whole time from the audience and he laughed at all of my dumb jokes, which gave me a much needed confidence boost. Years later, as a faculty mentor, I often told my senior thesis students to look for Bob in the audience during their presentations and keep eye contact with him because it would give them good vibes for their talk.