from Elena Rusconi

I spent most of my time as a post-doc in the ICN while Jon was the Director. Although I was not involved in any common project, I could interact quite a few times with him. Twenty-minute chats, mostly, in which I would introduce a topic and ask for expert opinion and impartial advice. I have no idea how he did it but those twenty-minutes were invariably packed with content and resulted more conclusive than a 3hr discussion with any “normal” person. Although he had both power and status, he never tried to impose his views nor gave me any biased advice, hence I knew I could trust his judgment. His observations were razor-sharp when directed towards arguments and considerations but benevolent and supportive when directed to the person. He could think outside the box and be inspirational well beyond his field of expertise. When he appointed me to take over his teaching commitments during a sabbatical year, I was amazed when he nonchalantly passed me all of his slides so that I could re-use some and attune others to my own expertise. I feel that we have all been deprived of the presence of a very special man, leader, role model, a rare combination of genuine passion for science and selfless ambition to strive for excellence. I am grateful for his time, his words, his generosity, his integrity and gentleness, for his being both a champion individually and a facilitator with others. THANK YOU, JON.