Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon computer science professor who became a national celebrity last year after a lecture he gave became a viral video sensation, died today of complications from pancreatic cancer, CMU reported. He was 47.
Last September, when Pausch delivered the talk, he believed he had less than six months to live, a fact which added gravitas to the spirited, pithy address about the merits of perseverance.
Pausch turned the address into a book, which became a runaway best-seller when it was released in April and remains in the top 20 books on Amazon.com.
Back then, Pausch told Wired.com, "We’re clawing for every extra month we can get. Realistically, I hope to get two to four more months."
His last entry on his health update webpage, which now appears to be offline running slowly, was dated June 26th, and detailed his decision to stop doing more chemotherapy and focus on immunotherapy-based treatments. (A friend later posted on July 24th that Pausch was in hospice care.)
Pausch was recognized within computer science for his research on the way that humans interacted with computers, working with CMU’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute and creating ALICE, a 3-D programming environment for children. But a brilliant career as a teacher and researcher was overshadowed by the simple, no-nonsense wisdom of the talk, entitled, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams." The video, embedded below, has received more than 3 million views on YouTube.
Pausch described the talk in words as touching as they were sad.
"I’m attempting to put myself in a bottle that will one day wash up on the beach for my children," he said.
Despite the fame and attention that Pausch received in the last few months of his life, he seemed eager to step out of the limelight as he neared his death.
"I’ve said my piece," he said in our last interview. "My time now is entirely focused on family."
Donations can be made to Carnegie Mellon’s Randy Pausch Memorial Fund.
See Also:
The Carnegie Mellon announcement
Dying ‘Last Lecture’ Prof’s New Book Becomes Runaway Best-Seller
The Last Lecture: Carnegie Mellon Prof Tackles Life and Love
