Researcher's Lament
I saw a nice cat at play one day
He wasn't doing a DBA
Then there's that fellow, towing his boat
Off to enjoy some enchanted moat
Looked so relaxed, contented and gay
He wasn't doing a DBA
And all of the shoppers, so chirpy and strong
Bursting at the seams, just buzzing along
With so much to do and nothing to pay
They're not doing a DBA
The couple next door, with barbeque out
Enjoying their lives, with good friends about
Not staying indoors or slaving away
They're not doing a DBA
So why do I do it, why do I care?
Why do I struggle to end up somewhere?
Alone with my thoughts and theories too
Grappling with authors and concepts anew
Toiling away on crazy ideas
Searching until the blue moon appears
Providing a clue that sharpens my search
Elevates my thinking to a higher perch
Could it be said, I'm really quite mad?
A strange lonely figure, reclusive and sad
Lost in a world that few can share
Alone with my torment and dark despair
Or could it be, I'm just like the cat
I'm toying away, at something that
Despite what it seems, is really a pleasure
The search for truth and eternal treasure
I'm making a difference in my own small way
That's why I'm doing a DBA
by John Carruthers (2006)
I started my academic life doing a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics at UWA before going to Oxford to complete an MSc and a DPhil, also in Mathematics. I then spent three years in Paris at l'Université de Paris-Sud, Orsay, continuing research in mathematical analysis and going to lots of movies before returning to UWA to work as a research mathematician.
I have lectured in Maths and Computer Science at UWA, as well as for short periods at Berkeley, The University of Canterbury in Christchurch, and Prince Songkla University in Thailand. My research has focussed on computer vision, including feature detection in images, 3D shape measurement, image understanding, and representation.