LBTU Professor Pēteris Rivža, Founder of Information Technology Faculty, Has Died

Pēteris Rivža (1947–2026), a professor at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU) and a Doctor habilitatus of engineering sciences, has died. The university in Jelgava announced his death. Rivža founded LBTU's Faculty of Information Technologies, and his entire academic and research career was tied to the institution.

Career at the university

From 1972 he worked in the Department of Higher Mathematics, later becoming its head. He began scientific work in 1973. In 1992 he took over the Department of Economic Cybernetics, which over time grew into the Institute of Informatics, where information technology studies were established. In 2001 the Faculty of Information Technologies was set up on the basis of the institute, offering two bachelor's, one master's and one doctoral programme. Rivža became its dean.

From 2002 to 2014 he served as vice-rector for research at what was then called the Latvia University of Agriculture. During that period close cooperation developed with the Nordic association of agricultural scientists, and a congress was held in Latvia in 2015. Under his leadership a new building for the then Faculty of Food Technology was constructed, Valdeka Manor was restored, and investments were made in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

Scientific legacy

Rivža published about 200 scientific works, including 12 monographs and textbooks, and 44 publications indexed in the Scopus database. He led and took part in international and Latvian research projects in which mathematical modelling played a major role. Seven doctoral theses were prepared and defended under his supervision. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the Cross of Recognition, Third Class, of the Republic of Latvia.

In his last working years Rivža worked at the Institute of Computer Systems and Data Science. Colleagues describe him as helpful, sensitive and good-humoured. He is survived by his family; he was a husband, father and grandfather.

Farewell

The farewell ceremony will take place on Saturday, 14 November, at 1:30 p.m. at the St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church at Jāņa iela 1 in Jelgava. It will be followed by a procession to Svēte Cemetery.