In Memory of Doug Tygar

Oh no! What a loss.

I had Professor Tygar for Fundamental Structures of Computing I at CMU back in Spring 1988, as a freshman. I didn't understand something and went to his office hours. He patiently explained the topic to me. As I was leaving, he asked me to wait and reached into a cardboard box. He pulled out a copy of David Harel's "Algorithmics" book, handed it to me, and said I might enjoy it.

That helped start me down a path to being a computer science professor myself. More importantly, it taught me what encouragement from a professor can mean in the life of a young person. To this day, I routinely reach to my shelf and pull down books to "loan" to undergraduates and graduate students. I get back about 70% back, but that's hardly the point.

Very sad to hear of the sudden and unexpected passing.

Through a love of literature and film, Doug's amazing collection has been donated to our non profit, Hope Services, by Doug's wife in his memory.

I trust that those who knew Doug and his wife will find no surprise that the donation of incredible books is living on his life on touching the lives of an additional 3500 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout bay area counties that we serve.

His legacy will live through thousands of incredible lives and thank you for your incredible generosity.

The deepest condolences from the whole Hope Services / Green Street Books team.

I still can see him in Wean 7500 doing the "Alice and Bob" lecture, with Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls and the part of the Prince of Darkness (the eavesdropper) played by a little rubber ducky.

When I learned about the news that Prof. Doug Tygar passed away on January 16, I was in a total shock and could not believe it. We were communicating via email about our planned visit to the Center for Long Term Security, UCB on March 2, 2020 and Doug just sent me a confirmation on January 8 that a meeting had been arranged, Ann Cleaveland, the Executive Director of CLTC would be in touch, and he’d look forward to seeing us!

Doug and I had known each other for almost 20 years since the time when I was serving as Director of the Taiwan Information Security Center, and was seeking international collaboration with UCB in 2005. Doug was the chief architect responsible for helping make the connection between TWISC and TRUST, one of the NSF funded Science & Technology Centers at UCB, which led to a 3-year Int’l collaboration program, dubbed iCAST, for int’l Collaboration for Advancing Security Technology 2006-2009. Doug served as a mentor for the 20 graduate students selected from Taiwan to do on-site information security research at UCB every year during the collaboration period. Doug, together with a few other faculty members of TRUST, made several overseas trips across Pacific Ocean at that time and had continued to communicate with members of TWISC even after the program ended. We also had coauthored a book entitled “Computer Security in the 21st Century,” published by Springer. Doug will be remembered by all of us who were associated with TWISC, particularly those who participated in iCAST, for what he had done for them, some of whom are professors in Taiwan now, as a dedicated teacher, an innovative researcher, and most important of all, a true friend!

Doug’s passing was a tremendous loss not only to UCB but also to us all. I am sure the legacy of his relentless enthusiasm for helping young students will be carried on, as we continue the collaboration on cyber security related issues between UCB and TWISC. We will remember him forever.

On personal side, Doug is a vegetarian, but he respected others who are not. His wife, nicknamed Xiao-Niu (小牛), whom I knew independently as a professor, is a soft-spoken person with a unique mind. She got her PhD in Computer Science, but is interested in technology and art. She was invited to serve as a reviewer of projects for the National Digital Archives Program, for which I served as Program Manager. Several years after I first met Doug, Doug told me one time when I visited him at UCB that his wife was from Taiwan. Doug must have been as surprised to learn that I knew Xiao-Niu, as I was surprised to learn they were husband and wife! As I recall, I invited Doug to Taiwan for giving a short course and I invited him to a dinner party at a local vegetarian restaurant. It was dark outside, and I was waiting to meet him at the entrance of the restaurant. As usual, he came with a bag of a long strap on his shoulder, carrying a notebook computer under his arm. With his regular broad smile on his face, making graciously warm greeting remarks when Doug saw me, he accidentally stepped into a small pond near the entrance and took a fall into the water. Doug got up, with his pants and the notebook computer all wet. I felt really sorry and apologized to him. He did not complain, but instead comforted me by saying it was his fault. What a graceful person Doug was!

When I contacted Xiao-Niu expressing my deepest condolences, she was in great pain about Doug’s unexpected passing. She told me that Doug was planning to come to Taiwan this winter break, and take a sabbatical leave for six months. What a sad story! Now this sudden tragedy had made their otherwise perfect plan of getting together vanish! I could imagine the pain Xiao-Niu was bearing, and would share the same pain too! Xiao-Niu, you ought to stand strong, and you have many of us behind to support you.

Doug was a great man, and he shall remain side by side with us all forever!