IP: Walter Karplus of UCLA dies

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2001 20:39:07 -0800
> To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
> From: Leonard Kleinrock <lk () cs ucla edu>
> Subject: Walter Karplus of UCLA dies
>
> Dave,
>
> Walter Karplus of UCLA died a few days ago.  It is a great loss to us.  He 
> and his work were well known, and I thought there would be a number of IP 
> readers who would like to know of his passing.  I have attached below the 
> notice that appeared in the UCLA Daily Bruin.
>
> Much thanks,
>
> Len Kleinrock
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Karplus leaves distinguished legacy
>
> Longtime UCLA faculty member dies of cancer at age 74
>
>
> Cool, calm and collected - these were words used to describe Walter 
> Karplus, interim dean of the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and 
> Applied Science. Among his colleagues, Karplus was not only a leader, but 
> a friend.
>
> But after a long battle with lung cancer, Karplus, 74, died Sunday at his 
> home.
>
> "It was a shock to all of us," said Chand Viswanathan, chair of the UC 
> Academic Senate and a former UCLA professor of electrical engineering who 
> knew Karplus for 43 years.
>
> "Like everybody else, I am feeling very sad," Viswanathan continued. "He 
> was a good man - a gentle man. It's a great loss to UCLA as well as to his 
> friends."
>
> A faculty member for more than 40 years, Karplus took the position of 
> interim dean for the School of Engineering when Frank Wazzan stepped down 
> in July.
>
> Karplus chaired the computer science department from 1972-79 and was 
> president of the Computer Simulation Laboratory. He served for many years 
> as director of the Center for Experimental Computer Science at UCLA.
>
> Karplus was known among his peers for his intelligence, dependability and 
> calm demeanor.
>
> "He had a wit that was unsurpassed," said professor of computer science 
> Leonard Kleinrock. Karplus was key in "smoothing out differences in the 
> department politics," Kleinrock said.
>
> A pioneer in the engineering school and computer science research, Karplus 
> employed virtual reality, which allowed doctors to observe blood flow 
> through aneurysms deep inside the human brain.
>
> Karplus' expertise was sought by several government agencies and was often 
> called upon as an expert witness in computer-related cases. He held 
> scientific positions with Hughes Aircraft Company, International 
> Geophysics and Sun Oil.
>
> His plethora of awards include a Fulbright Fellowship, a Guggenheim 
> Fellowship, the Senior Scientific Award of the Society for Computer 
> Simulation, the Silver Core Award of the International Federation for 
> Information Processing and an Achievement Award from NASA.
>
> Outside of UCLA, Karplus served as a director of the American Federation 
> of Information Processing Societies. He was also president of the 
> Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Neural Networks Council 
> in 1995 and 1996.
>
> Karplus wrote a number of articles, editorials and books, including "The 
> Heavens are Falling: The Scientific Predictions of Catastrophes in our Time."
>
> Aside from researching and teaching, Karplus enjoyed coin collecting, 
> trips to Las Vegas and playing poker games while exchanging views on 
> politics and philosophy with colleagues.
>
> "This was a charming gentleman ... he was caring, never confrontational," 
> said Kleinrock, who first met Karplus during his interview for an 
> assistant professor position.
>
> "People went to him for advice and for a sense of stability," Kleinrock said.
>
> A nature lover and frequent traveler, Karplus traveled throughout Europe 
> as a lecturer, enjoying hikes into the Himalayas.
>
> Born in Vienna, Austria, Karplus earned degrees from Cornell University 
> and the University of California.
>
> He is survived by his wife, Takako, and two children, Maya and Tony.
>
> "It's an unthinkable loss," Kleinrock said. "He was the soul of our 
> department and the ultimate source of wisdom and good judgement from which 
> we all benefitted. He was a classy gentleman and it exuded in each pore of 
> his body."
>
> A memorial service will be held 3 p.m. Nov. 25 in the James West Alumni 
> Center. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to 
> the American Cancer Society.
>
> By Marjorie Hernandez
> Daily Bruin Reporter


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