July 30, 2019
Dear Members of our Campus Community,
I am very saddened to share with you the news that our colleague Ian Rhodes, Professor Emeritus of Electrical and Computer Engineering, passed away last month, surrounded by his family.
Dr. Rhodes joined our campus in 1979 after having taught at MIT and Washington University in St. Louis. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and his doctorate from Stanford. He specialized in mathematical system theory and its applications, with an emphasis on stochastic control, communication, and optimization problems, especially those involving decentralized information structures or parallel computational structures.
Professor Rhodes contributed to our campus in many ways, including serving as ECE department chair and as chair of the Committee on Educational Policy and Academic Planning (CEPAP). He was known as a campus leader, a popular and enthusiastic teacher, a devoted mentor, and an inspirational role model for students and colleagues alike. He retired in 2005, with 26 years of service.
His interests ranged far beyond his deep expertise in electrical engineering and encompassed letterpress printing, jazz and classical music, and world travel. He contributed to the Maker Lab at UCSB, and was a beloved volunteer in our local community, including providing rides and computer support for seniors through Santa Barbara Village and staffing the visitor center above the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.
Ian was a very special faculty colleague – kind, selfless, and dedicated. He will be greatly missed. Our hearts and thoughts go out to Ian’s wife, Pam, and to their wide circle of family members and friends. Our campus flag will be lowered on July 31 in his honor.
Sincerely,
Henry T. Yang
Chancellor