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Ann Boriack-Sjodin 鈥�92

Student

I was fortunate to perform summer research under Professors Bob Cave and Bill Sly in the summer of 1991. Bob was still at the beginning of his career at Mudd, Prof. Sly was approaching the end of his, yet I was able to see and experience the depth of their friendship and mutual respect for each other in their daily afternoon 鈥淐oke breaks鈥�. After that summer, and thanks in large part to Prof. Cave鈥檚 encouragement, I changed the focus of my major and performed senior research with Prof. Sly, which led me to a PhD in Crystallography and a career in drug discovery.

I returned to visit HMC a few years after Bill Sly鈥檚 passing. Bob had saved a few of his friend鈥檚 crystallography books. Instead of keeping them for himself, he gave them to me, saying that he knew Bill would want me to have them. They are treasures to me, reminders of both mentors that gave me the opportunity and encouragement to find my passion.

Arran McNabb 鈥�06

Student and colleague

Bob Cave used to sit in the back of freshman chemistry in the fall of 2002, and most of the time we wouldn’t notice his presence. Until, of course, there was a mild chemistry joke made by the presenter, and Bob Cave would laugh his notoriously loud bark-laugh. And although none of us had laughed at the initial joke, there was always a chuckle after Bob laughed. His joy was infectious. We would say Bob was the ‘car-salesman of chemistry’ because his excitement for the subject and his enthusiasm some times made it seem like he was really going to sell you on studying his field.

Bob was also one of the chemistry professors that my friends and I really connected with when we came to HMC, and joined us some semesters for lunch or dinner off-campus. He really cared for students as individuals and made you feel special. When I came back to work at Mudd, seeing Bob around campus was always a joy. And I will miss him, always.

Ran Libeskind-Hadas

Colleague

Bob was an extraordinarily positive friend and colleague. He was full of life and saw the best in each of us. He was an exceptional teacher, colleague, and leader who listened well and treated everyone with great respect. Each of us who was touched by Bob’s kindness, generosity, and wisdom can aspire to pass that on to the next generation. Bob’s impact on our community will be lasting.

Chuck Williamson 鈥�90

Student

Bob arrived at Mudd when I was a junior, and I had the pleasure of taking some upper level PChem courses from him. He was an excellent instructor – clear, enthusiastic, and always so full of good cheer. Bob was also an excellent mentor. I reached out to him a couple of times when I was in graduate school and was not sure how to handle some research group politics. Bob welcomed my calls, was very reassuring, and had thoughtful advice to offer. He really helped me out.

I crossed paths again with Bob a few years ago at an ACS Conference in DC while he was working at NSF. I recall that he was excited about collaborative work he was doing with Bill Daub’s group, and was looking forward to returning to Mudd. I am thankful that I had another opportunity to talk with him at that time.

Kaitlyn Dwelle 鈥�15

Student

When I took Pchem as a Junior, it was Prof. Cave’s return to teaching after several years as the dean of faculty. With Prof. Van Hecke on sabbatical, Prof Cave, a theorist, was also teaching Pchem Lab as well. Although he was a theorist who didn’t often (ever?) teach lab courses, his contagious enthusiasm and deep understanding of physical chemistry ultimately made it one of my favorite classes at Mudd.

Often, the workload at Mudd can be suffocating, and it can be easy to lose any enjoyment of learning and even easier to forget the importance of your own health and well-being. Prof. Cave genuinely cared for our well-being first, and was also an excellent teacher, researcher, thesis advisor, and advocate. I will miss him greatly.

Eliot Bush

Colleague

Some time around when I was starting as a new assistant prof, and Bob was starting as dean of faculty, he came by my office for some reason or other. Looking out the window, he saw that you could see Sprague (where his office was). “I’ll be keeping an eye on you,” he said. But of course his characteristic laugh made the whole thing lighthearted.

Isabel Balseiro

Colleague

Bob鈥檚 peals of laughter, his irrepressible joy, preceded him and still resonate as some of us think of him. We served together in the Study Abroad Committee when he chaired it and I recall his collegiality as genuine and generous. As Dean of the Faculty, Bob approached me once to gauge my willingness to run for chair at the then Humanities and Social Sciences Department. He understood, respected, and supported me when I turned down that opportunity because of personal reasons. I was raising an infant son at the time and if there was something Bob fiercely guarded with utmost pride were his two sons. When he and his family unexpectedly lost Adam, it was my turn to pay my respects and honor his inconsolable grief. A beloved colleague, Bob was also a true mensch.

Tom Donnelly

Colleague and friend

I first met Bob when I interviewed at Harvey Mudd in 1997; in our half our together he asked me about my research and sent me to the board to answer his questions. I loved it–he was kind and warm, sure, but he was also dedicated to science and understanding. He wanted to know. Over the years, I marveled at that deep curiosity about the world, and came to understand that it also extended to people. Because of it, he was a source of great wisdom and I leaned on him many times over the years for advice about people, career, and life. He was a giant and I am grateful to have had him in my life.

Corey Liu 鈥�92

Student

How lucky I was to be a frosh in Prof. Cave’s “freshman” year at Mudd, and to have had him as my academic advisor. Did Prof. Cave ever not have a smile on his face? That is without a doubt an enduring Mudd memory for me. What an honor it was to have shared an orbit with him.

Chang Hee Kim 鈥�91

Student in his Group theory and Quantum Chemistry

Professor Cave and his wife invited me and other foreign students to his home for Thanksgiving and we had a great time eating and playing Trivial Pursuit. For me as a foreign student with nowhere to go for Thanksgiving, it was a hospitality and generosity I remember to this day. I am going to miss his booming voice and laughter. He inspired me to go to Caltech to get my PhD in Chemistry. I will miss him dearly and always remember him with a smile till we meet again. Love you, Bob. Chang Hee.