Paul Joyce was most comfortable in a white T-shirt and black pants with a notepad and a No. 2 pencil in his hand. He told math jokes in the classroom. He loved his coffee. He had an insatiable interest in politics.
As the Dean of the University of Idaho”s College of Science, he created a community of collaboration within his college.
Joyce
Larry Forney, a professor with the College of Science, said he saw this first-hand over the 16 years he worked with Joyce.
“He was quite an exceptional teacher of people on all levels,” Forney said. “That”s part of what made him such a great collaborator, especially with interdisciplinary research.”
While Joyce successfully orchestrated a number of collaborative projects, Forney said he always remained humble.
“First of all, he”s very nice and has a wonderful sense of humor, but you soon come to realize he”s absolutely just brilliant,” Forney said. “It”s disarming because he”s very humble and very modest about what he does, so you never realize you”re talking to one of the leaders in the field worldwide.”
Joyce assumed his position as dean of the College of Science in 2013.
The Clearwater County Sheriff”s County put out a call to locate Joyce at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 23.
Joyce”s car was found just after 5 p.m. Saturday submerged in Dworshak Reservoir at the Big Eddy Boat Ramp near Orofino. The 57-year-old Moscow resident was dead inside the vehicle. According to a statement released by the sheriff”s office, the cause of death is yet to be determined, and Joyce”s death is still under investigation.
Joyce, a leading researcher in the development of statistical methods and models that describe genetic phenomena, first began his career at UI as a faculty member in 1991.
Mario Reyes, dean of the College of Business, met Joyce the same year. During their time as colleagues, Reyes and Joyce developed a close friendship. Reyes said the loss will be felt throughout the university.
“It”s going to be different when we have our dean”s council next week,” Reyes said. “Not seeing him there … he”s a wonderful person. As the memo from the president said, he will be sorely missed. I already miss him.”
Forney said Joyce made an effort to build relationships and connect with the students, faculty and administrators on campus.
“You form these relationships that last for years and years and years,” Forney said. “This isn”t that a member of the U of I faculty died, it”s a member of your family died.”
In 2006, Joyce recruited Jose Ponciano for UI”s bioinformatics and computational biology program.
Ponciano said Joyce immediately helped him feel at home in Moscow.
“He opened the doors to his office, his life, his personal life, his lab, his mentoring,” Ponciano said. “He really embodied the meaning of what it means to be an adviser.”
Ponciano came to the U.S. from Guatemala and his wife from Chile. When Ponciano began his doctoral studies at the university, he and wife his were raising two small children with no immediate family in the area.
“At the time, I was a young, clumsy father of two little kids. They were born right when I was starting,” Ponciano said. “(Joyce) and Jana were very caring and always inviting us for Christmas parties.”
When Reyes” son began his doctoral studies, he also had a young child. Joyce and his wife Jana offered to help out and babysat Reyes” granddaughter regularly.
“Paul and Jana volunteered – I should say insisted – in babysitting our granddaughter,” Reyes said. “They showered Kaila, our granddaughter, with love and attention. I can”t tell you enough about the Joyces – they just really loved our grandkids like their own.”
Beyond helping his colleagues and building relationships within and between colleges, Forney said Joyce had a talent for collaborating with others.
“Some of the skills he had as a researcher enabled him to be very successful as a dean,” Forney said. “He was a great listener and he wasn”t about him. He wasn”t trying to force his way. He gets proposed with a problem, he would listen to people, analyze the possibilities and options and come up with a solution that was best for all concerned.”
Ponciano said he believes Joyce”s professional success was prompted by the dean”s passion for his research.
“You know that naive dream of enjoying work and work not being really work because it”s something you love doing?” Ponciano said. “Being around Paul, I understood what that really means.”
Ponciano said Joyce reminded him of a main character in the French film, “Tous les matins du monde.” The film, known in English as “All of the Mornings in the World,” centers around a young cellist who hopes to learn from a master.
The master cellist refuses to teach any pupils. Instead, he spends all day playing music for his daughter.
“He played the music for the sake of the music. The art for the sake of the art,” Ponciano said. “The master musician was very good because he wasn”t thinking about getting better, he was doing what he loved to do.”
Forney said it was Joyce”s passion for his work that prompted his desire to build relationships and maintain connections with those he worked with.
“I think that he made a point even as dean to remain connected to students, to research and to people at all levels,” Forney said.
Joyce was awarded the honor of University Distinguished Professor this year for his work as a professor of mathematics in the College of Science. His contributions to his field and the university will be recognized at the UI Awards for Excellence Tuesday.
Corrin Bond can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @CorrBond