Randolph Frederick Pausch[2] (/paʊʃ/) (October 23, 1960 – July 25, 2008) was an American educator, a professor of computer science, human–computer interaction, and design at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

[4] While completing his doctoral studies, Pausch was briefly employed at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center and Adobe Systems.

[6] In 1997, Pausch became Associate Professor of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, and Design at Carnegie Mellon University.

[14] CMU president Jared Cohon spoke emotionally of Pausch's humanity and called his contributions to the university and to education "remarkable and stunning".

Brown University professor Andries van Dam followed Pausch's last lecture with a tearful and impassioned speech praising him for his courage and leadership, calling him a role model.

"[23] Pausch was named "Person of the Week" on ABC's World News with Charles Gibson on September 21, 2007.

[24] His "Last Lecture" attracted wide attention from the international media,[25] became an Internet hit, and was viewed over a million times in the first month after its delivery.

[13] On October 6, 2007, Pausch joined the Pittsburgh Steelers for the day during their regular practice, after the organization learned that one of his childhood dreams mentioned in his "Last Lecture" was to play in the NFL.

[27] On April 9, 2008, the ABC network aired an hour-long Diane Sawyer feature on Pausch titled "The Last Lecture: A Love Story For Your Life".

[32] In March 2008, Pausch appeared in a public service announcement video[33] and testified before Congress in support of cancer research.

[40][41] Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer[14][42] and underwent a Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy) on September 19, 2006, in an attempt to halt the disease.

On March 13, 2008, Pausch advocated for more federal funding for pancreatic cancer before the United States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.

[45] On May 2, 2008, a positron emission tomography (PET) scan showed that he had tiny (5 millimetres (0.20 in) or less) metastases in his lungs and in some of the lymph nodes in his chest.