Randy Pausch

Randy Pausch

Professor of Computer Science, Creator of Virtual Reality
Date of Birth: 23.10.1960
Country: USA

Biography of Randy Pausch

Randy Pausch was born on October 23, 1960, in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in Columbia, Maryland. He attended Oakland Mills High School and went on to study at Brown University, where he graduated in May 1982 with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science. Pausch then continued his education at Carnegie Mellon University, earning a Doctorate in Computer Science in August 1988.

Randy Pausch

After completing his studies, Pausch embarked on a career in the field of human-computer interaction. He worked at the "Xerox Palo Alto Research Center" and "Adobe Systems" before joining the University of Virginia's School of Engineering and Applied Science as an assistant and adjunct professor of computer science from 1988 to 1997. In 1997, Pausch became an adjunct professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, where he worked on the "Human-Computer Interaction" project.

Randy Pausch

In 1998, Pausch, together with Don Marinelli, founded the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) at Carnegie Mellon University. He also taught the course "Building Virtual Worlds" at the university for ten years. Pausch collaborated with Google and Media Metrix and was the founder of the software project "Alice." He authored and co-authored five books and wrote approximately 70 articles on computer-related topics.

In 2007, Pausch received two awards for his professional achievements: the Karl V. Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award and the ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education Award for Outstanding Contributions to Computer Science Education. That same year, he became a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).

On September 18, 2007, Randy Pausch delivered his final lecture titled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" at Carnegie Mellon University. He was greeted with resounding applause, and his colleagues and students admired his courage. During the lecture, the creator of virtual reality was in high spirits and made jokes. Pausch was also the co-author of the bestselling book "The Last Lecture," which was published in 400,000 copies and translated into 17 languages.

Despite being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2006, Pausch continued to inspire others with his positive attitude and determination. He underwent chemotherapy and surgery, but the disease progressed rapidly. He passed away on July 25, 2008, having lived six months longer than doctors had initially predicted. Randy Pausch's legacy as a professor of computer science and creator of virtual reality continues to inspire and motivate people around the world.

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