Randy Pausch was an American computer scientist, university professor and author whose work focused on human-computer interaction, virtual reality and computer science education. After earning a doctorate in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University, he taught at the University of Virginia before returning to Carnegie Mellon, where he became a professor of computer science, human-computer interaction and design. He co-founded the university’s Entertainment Technology Center and helped develop Alice, software designed to make learning computer programming more accessible.

Pausch became widely known beyond academia after delivering a lecture at Carnegie Mellon in September 2007, following a diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer. Entitled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”, the talk discussed ambition, perseverance, teaching and relationships, and was viewed by millions online. He later developed its themes with journalist Jeffrey Zaslow in the bestselling book The Last Lecture. Pausch died in 2008, aged 47.