Alan Kraus, Professor of Finance at the Sauder School of Business, passed away on Saturday, 16 May 2015, peacefully and surrounded by his family. He will be greatly missed by everyone who has come to know him during his academic career of more than 45 years. His impact on his friends and colleagues at UBC, as well as at Stanford University, the University of Washington, Queen’s University and in the wider academic community, has been profound and long-lasting.

Born in Schenectady, New York, Alan was an internationally renowned economist. As a theoretician, Alan made major contributions to the field of financial economics for which he received many accolades and awards. Beyond his extensive academic and professional accomplishments, however, he will be remembered by his students, colleagues and friends for his warmth, generosity and his unfailing modesty. He was a great teacher and mentor, always looking for the best in others.

Since first arriving at UBC in 1973, Alan taught undergraduates, MBAs and Ph.D. students. He won several teaching awards, but his impact on doctoral students and the doctoral program at UBC has been perhaps his greatest contribution to teaching. He directed the Ph.D. theses of more than 15 students, giving each incredible insight into very different aspects of finance. That guidance will stay with them for all their careers. His mathematical skill in formulating and solving difficult problems was amazing, topped only by his incredible insights into the intuition underlying the mathematics.

Alan was a man of considerable wit and charm, love and compassion with eclectic interests. He was an avid outdoor enthusiast, and enjoyed a variety of pursuits throughout his life including hiking, jogging, rowing and tennis. He was a lover of language, crossword puzzles and poetry. He was as likely to quote Robert Frost as he was to quote Beowulf. He will be dearly missed by family and good friends both here and internationally. We all rejoice in having known Alan whose exuberant spirit enriched and sustained everyone he knew.

Alan Kraus was a dedicated teacher who was particularly supportive of Ph.D. students. His intellectual curiosity and thoroughness were cornerstones of the research environment in the Sauder School of Business and an inspiration for his colleagues.

Originally created to honour his retirement, the Alan Kraus Scholarship is awarded to outstanding doctoral students in finance. Your gift to the scholarship will make a fitting tribute to Alan’s life, by supporting the next generation of great financial minds at UBC.