Professor Robert France passes in Colorado, USA

St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Caribbean and the world have lost a man who has been described as an “international scholastic treasure.”

Professor Robert France, the 2014 Professor Laureate at Colorado State University, died at his home in Colorado, USA, on February 15, after a short illness. {{more}}He was 54 years old.

In an email to his colleagues around the region, Dr Sean Thorpe, programme director in Graduate Studies in Computing at the University of Technology, Jamaica, said “the Caribbean academic computer science community are very deeply saddened by this recent news. We have lost an international scholastic treasure and friend.”

Thorpe said Professor France’s contributions to knowledge sharing and human capacity development within the discipline is of notable distinction and will be long remembered.

“His specific contributions to the Caribbean at both the University of Technology (UTECH), Jamaica and the University of the West Indies (UWI) has been exceptional to our computing departments. His work at both institutions has formed the foundation of the collaborations between Colorado State University and the mentioned Caribbean institutions with respect to significant work in graduate teaching and research as an extension of his service to our programs. Examples include his stewardship as an examiner that facilitated the graduation of the first Computer Science PhD from UTECH and many other Computer Science PhDs from UWI.”

Just last November, Professor France was awarded by the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) for Excellence in Science and Technology for his long-term commitment, leadership and achievements in Scientific Research, Education and Service.

At the time of his death, Professor France was a full professor of Computer Science at Colorado State University, College of Natural Sciences, where he was renowned for his work as a leading researcher in the area of model-based software engineering.

Professor France leaves to mourn his wife Sheriffa (Soleyn), two children Richard and Jeanelle; parents, Robert and Jeanette France; brother Michael and sisters Angele, Nicole and Simone; grandmother Mary Jackson.

He will be laid to rest in St Vincent, following a funeral service on a date to be announced.