Obituary Dr. Robert "Bob" Szaro

We are sad to inform you that Dr. Robert Chester Szaro ("Bob") passed away on February 6, 2025. Born in New York in 1949, he was a graduate of Texas A&M University (BS), the University of Florida (MS), and Northern Arizona University (PhD, 1975). Bob joined the US Forest Service in Arizona as a field scientist, later transferring the headquarters in Washington, DC. 

When the Government of the United States seconded senior forest scientists from their Forest Service to work with IUFRO in the 1990s, Bob came to Vienna, Austria to serve as the coordinator of IUFRO's SPDC (Special Programme for Developing Countries at that time) from 1996-2000. During that period, he also served as the Forestry Attache at the US Embassy in Vienna. 

During Bob's time as SPDC coordinator, a handbook on "Preparing and Writing Research Proposals" was developed and has been widely used since. During the same time SPDC also actively engaged in preparatory works to assist the African forest research community to establish the Forest Research Network of Sub-Saharan Africa (FORNESSA). This African network of forest research institutions became operational in 2000 and is still active. Within this context and the global advancement of information technologies and internet-based information systems, SPDC commenced with a major support project on "Mobilizing scientific information on forests to promote their sustainable management in ACP countries". This 3-year project funded by the European Commission provided substantial resources and means to expand cooperation with the African forest science community in the field of information management, exchange, and networking.

On behalf of the IUFRO Community we extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends.