In Memory of Robert W. Doran

Abstract

Our late friend and colleague Professor Robert W. Doran, usually known as “Bob”, would have been 80 years old in 2024. Apart from being a devoted teacher and, for many years, a highly respected Head of Department at the University of Auckland, he was an original and sometimes quirky thinker. Bob was one of the Computer Science pioneers in New Zealand (NZ), moving from the Mathematics Department to the newly formed Computer Science Department at Massey University in 1974. He was an inspiration to many young kiwis starting out in Computer Science over the years. After a second stint overseas he returned to NZ to the Department of Computer Science at the University of Auckland, where he is remembered by a number of staff for his kindness when they first arrived to take up a position in NZ. Bob would personally meet them and their families at the airport. Many of the people that arrived during that time, remained in NZ. This memorial starts with a summary of Bob’s professional life and publications, and then continues with various reminiscences and examples of his original approach to common questions, presented in alphabetical order of their contributors surnames.