At the age of 81, the ETH professor emeritus of Computer Science Jürg Nievergelt passed away this October. He had been instrumental in the founding of the Department of Computer Science.
Jürg Nievergelt graduated from the ETH Department of Mathematics in 1962 with a thesis on game theory. He then moved to the USA, where he was appointed professor of computer science at the University of Illinois. Some 17 years later, he returned to ETH as a full professor, where he played a key role in founding the Department of Computer Science.
Aside from his scientific qualifications, Jürg Nievergelt also displayed considerable sporting talent. As legend has it, the passionate mountaineer once climbed the roof of the ETH main building, and, as proof of success, put an empty wine bottle over the lightning conductor on top. This did not go down very well with the school authorities at the time but was later resolved peacefully.
Throughout his entire career, Nievergelt had dedicated himself to people. He assumed numerous functions at the department and played a decisive role in shaping computer science at ETH Zurich. Thank you, Jürg Nievergelt!