Remembrance: Peter Norvig

Ashok was a great friend and mentor to me. I only got to see him two

or three times a year, but could always look forward to a friendly and

sincere greeting and exchange of the latest news.

He played an important role in my career -- in 1998, I was offered a

position as the Lab head of NASA Ames Computer Science division.  This

would be a big change for me, transitioning from the hands-on

scientific roles I had had up to then to a management role.  Ashok was

one of the few people I trusted to seek advice from on this decision,

because I always admired what he had done in his career: going from a

very productive scientific career to being a very productive

manager. I admired the way he was able to be so supportive to his

staff, without compromising who he was.  And I appreciated how he was

able to make it seem like fun, for both himself and his staff, and not

a bureaucratic chore. Then, as always, he gave me great advice.

When you choose to join a field as a profession, you do it in part

because the subject matter is appealing, but also because you are

joining a community of colleagues. Ashok was the kind of person who

made computer science feel like an exciting field, and also a warm and

welcoming one. I will miss him so much, and I will do my best to pass

his warmth on to others, as he did for me.