Those of us who knew Akira Okubo were touched by the warmth, the brilliance, and the gentleness of his personality. I, for one, will never forget the introduction of his classic book that, in modesty typical to him, lists the "good luck" that brought this great work to fruition. Equally memorable to me is his description of tracking 3D motion of flying midges - "impossible" according to grant agencies, yet still possible "because the sun was shining". (Akira ingeniously used midge shadows and trigonometry to reconstruct 3D positions).
SMB is now setting up a fund to preserve the memory of this dear and cherished colleague. The fund will be invested, and income used in perpetuity to honor Akira, eg. by awarding a biennial prize for an excellent scientific contribution, with the recipient invited to present at an SMB meeting. Si Levin has agreed to coordinate with Yoh Iwassa, secretary general of the Japanese Association for Mathematical Biology in an effort to make this fund-raising a joint effort. Details will follow in the SMB digest and newsletter.
Please send your tax-deductible contributions (by check payable to the Society for Mathematical Biology) to L. E. Keshet, Math Dept, UBC, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, (keshet @math.ubc.ca) 604-822-5889. Include full address and a receipt will be forwarded to you. With thanks, Leah E- Keshet