Rob was also the technical lead for CARTA, the Cube Analysis and Rendering Tool for Astronomy, an internationally recognised visual analytics platform for astronomers working with large and complex data cubes. His leadership helped establish CARTA as one of the world’s leading visual analytics tools for radio astronomy. Today, CARTA is used extensively for MeerKAT science, forms part of the proposed SKA Regional Centre Network, and is enabling research at major facilities around the world, including the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the next generation Very Large Array.  In 2026, CARTA received the inaugural Research Software Award at the NSTF-South32 Awards, recognising the collective efforts of the international collaboration and Rob’s critical technical leadership.

 

Prior to joining UCT and IDIA, Rob held senior leadership roles in Canada, including serving as Chief Technology Officer of WestGrid and Compute Canada, where he contributed to the development of national computing infrastructure supporting academic and government research. His expertise in computing architecture for the Square Kilometre Array ultimately brought him to South Africa at a pivotal moment in the nation’s scientific development.

Alongside his work at IDIA, Rob was a valued member of UCT’s Department of Computer Science, contributing to teaching, research, and the university’s data-intensive research capabilities. His career reflected a commitment to strengthening the connections between computer science and astronomy, to the benefit of both fields.

A mathematician and computer scientist by training, Rob was driven by a passion for developing computational solutions to scientific problems. He once remarked that professional success, to him, meant simply “being a key contributor to major projects.” By that measure, his career was an extraordinary success.

Yet Rob will be remembered for far more than his professional accomplishments. He loved photography and cooking, had an enthusiasm for the latest gadgets, and assembled an impressive collection of guitars, including a four decade old Ibanez JEM 777. A keen traveller, he frequently entertained colleagues with stories from his journeys, while his appreciation for the humour of Douglas Adams was well known. And, of course, his beloved dog, Avogadro, was seldom far from the conversation or webcam field of view.

 

 

Perhaps most of all, Rob valued the people around him. Reflecting on his career, he said that its most rewarding aspect was having had the opportunity to collaborate with “some very brilliant people” through the many impactful projects he was fortunate enough to be part of. Those who had the privilege of working alongside him would undoubtedly say the same of him.

Rob’s legacy lives on in the systems he helped build, the communities he helped strengthen, and the discoveries his work will continue to make possible for generations of researchers to come. His contributions have left an indelible mark on IDIA, the University of Cape Town, South African astronomy, and the international scientific community.

 

He will be greatly missed by his colleagues, students, collaborators, and friends throughout IDIA, UCT, and beyond.

 

Colleagues, friends, and students are warmly invited to join us as we gather to remember and celebrate Rob’s life.

Memorial Service

• Date: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
• Time: 4:00 pm
• Venue: University of Cape Town Frahn Library

For those unable to attend in person, an online option will be available via Zoom:

• Join via Zoom

You are also warmly invited to contribute a message or photograph to Rob’s memory board:

• Memory Board

Tea and refreshments will be served for those attending in person. For catering purposes, please RSVP to admin@idia.ac.za.

We hope you will be able to join us, either in person or online, as we remember Rob and support one another.