Remembrance at Rajeev Motwani Memorial Celebration Jennifer Widom, Sept. 25 2009
Rajeev was my colleague and friend, and we worked together in several capacities. We served together on the Computer Science faculty, we had a long collaboration on a research project in the area of data streams, and we both inhabited the broad world of data management research.
Let me first talk about Rajeev as a research colleague. In entrepreneurial circles, many call him "the world's greatest connector." He had an uncanny ability to recognize that by bringing together certain people, magical things would happen. On a smaller scale, I recently realized that's exactly what he was doing in our research enterprise. He clearly had a knack for matchmaking. In fact, I expect he could have run a very lucrative dating service, were he so inclined.
In our joint research project, Rajeev gently matched his theory-inclined students and my more systems-oriented students. For you entrepreneurs out there—and I think there are quite a few of you—that would be roughly analogous to matching a CTO and a Chief Architect when building a successful start-up.
The results of Rajeev's research matchmaking were excellent, both in the learning experiences they brought about for the students, and in the outcomes of the collaborative work. For all of Rajeev's students who are with us today—there are quite a few of you as well—you should know how meaningful you were to him, both as scholars and as people. You are a most important part of his legacy. Incidentally, working with Rajeev himself could also provide the perfect match. For its sheer excitement and breadth, the time I spent collaborating with Rajeev is among the richest in my research career.
Now let me talk about the Computer Science Department. As current department chair, I've given a lot of thought to what we miss without Rajeev. Unquestionably he had a number of very welcoming personality traits, traits that I regret are not guaranteed in every faculty member, and certainly not in his combination—deeply thought-out insights on most any issue, a willingness to help anyone anytime, and an understated but ever-present sense of humor.
We faculty have a tendency to blather on—I hope I’m not doing too much of that right now. Rajeev, on the other hand, would sit quietly and then get right to the point. I loved that. I miss Rajeev's steadying and cheerful presence in the Computer Science Logistically, we’ll find someone to teach Rajeev's classes, although finding a theorist as inspiring to undergraduates, and relevant to graduate students as Rajeev, is a tall challenge. We'll find someone to direct our graduate program as Rajeev did so ably for many, many years. We'll even find someone to advise his doctoral students, although those are big shoes to fill. But Rajeev left one hole that simply can't be addressed. He forged a unique connection between the department and the entrepreneurial world—a connection that was broad, deeply technical, and full of integrity. That is something we simply can't replicate with any other human being known to us.
Finally, let me briefly mention the world of database research. It's an interesting community. There's a clear division between the theorists and the systems folks, and as many of you know, each contingent is pretty good at poking fun at the other. From the systems point of view, most theorists spend their time proving irrelevant theorems, and are deathly afraid of actual code. From the theorists point of view, systems folks spend their time hacking together unprincipled software. Clearly neither of these viewpoints could be leveled at Rajeev. His theorems weren't irrelevant. He showed time and again that theory results can have real, immediate impact, and are the key to ultimately producing principled, high-quality software. Rajeev was a rarity who was tremendously respected by both sides of the field.
So, it’s easy to see that Rajeev's presence and influence as a colleague in the Computer Science Department, as well as in Silicon Valley, was enormous. To cement the memory of Rajeev's contributions to Computer Science, and to ensure that the research, teaching, and mentoring that he valued so highly will continue to thrive, I am proud and grateful to announce that Google has created the Rajeev Motwani professorship in Computer Science at Stanford.
In his spirit, the Motwani Professorship will honor a distinguished senior faculty member whose work is like Rajeev’s: deeply rooted in Computer Science fundamentals and the underlying theory, but also applicable to important practical problems within and beyond traditional boundaries of the discipline.
Endowed professorships are the highest honor Stanford can impart to a faculty member. This chair will be particularly special because of its link to Rajeev. Google's generosity is also meaningful because this chair is the first of ten approved by the university, to grow the Computer Science Department to a size commensurate with the stature of the field. As one of the leading figures in our department, that growth is something Rajeev would have been delighted to witness first-hand.
None of us in the Stanford Computer Science Department—students, faculty, nor staff—has truly found a way to cope with Rajeev’s loss. But we are grateful that we can look forward to his enduring presence for the rest of our careers. Thank you.