Mervyn Lea Rudee

M. Lea Rudee passed away peacefully on January 28, 2024 in La Jolla. Rudee was an early leader at UCSD for many decades, first as the Provost of Warren College and then as the Dean of Engineering. Lea Rudee was born in Palo Alto, CA, the only child of Hannah Rudee, a teacher, and Mervyn C. Rudee, a dentist. Lea's father died when he was 12 years old and Lea was thereafter raised by his mother in Los Altos, CA. He was an Eagle Scout and developed a passion for the outdoors, photography, and jazz music. He attended Stanford University on an ROTC scholarship and earned a Bachelor's of Science degree. He spent 3 years as an officer in the United States Navy and then returned to Stanford where he earned his Ph.D in Materials Science and Engineering.At Stanford Lea met Elizabeth (Betsy) Eager and they were married in 1958 and had two children Beth (Roach) and David Rudee. Lea's career brought the young family to Rice University in Houston Texas where Lea began as a professor and later became the master of Weiss College. Lea was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and spent a year with his family in Cambridge England conducting research at the renowned Cavendish laboratory.After Rice University Lea came to UCSD in La Jolla and was the founding Provost of Warren College and later the founding dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering. He was instrumental in establishing several significant buildings and laboratories at the UCSD campus and helped facilitate collaboration between the university, entrepreneurs, and local technology firms. At UCSD the M. Lea Rudee Center for Engineered Natural Intelligence Collaboratory is named in his honor.In his "retirement" as professor emeritus, Lea served as UCSD's faculty representative to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and was the interim Dean of Engineering at UC Riverside for 6 years.He served on the board of directors for many non-profits relating to the environment and to the arts: the San Diego River Park Foundation, Glen Canyon Institute for the Colorado River, San Diego Museum of Photographic Arts, and the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library of La Jolla. He was an avid photographer all his life and some of his work was published in the Los Angeles Times and displayed at UCSD Library. Lea leaves behind his loving wife of 65 years Betsy (Eager) Rudee, daughter Beth Roach (Josh), son David Rudee (Taiche) and 4 grandsons, Kyle Rudee, Sean Rudee, Michael Roach and Brett Roach.Lea will be remembered not only for his far-reaching professional life, but as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, father-in-law, and friend. His kind and collaborative nature will be missed by all who knew him.