Book excerpt: This book is the proceeding of the International Workshop on Operator Theory and Applications (IWOTA) held in July 2018 in Shanghai, China. It consists of original papers, surveys and expository articles in the broad areas of operator theory, operator algebras and noncommutative topology. Its goal is to give graduate students and researchers a relatively comprehensive overview of the current status of research in the relevant fields. The book is also a special volume dedicated to the memory of Ronald G. Douglas who passed away on February 27, 2018 at the age of 79. Many of the contributors are Douglas’ students and past collaborators. Their articles attest and commemorate his life-long contribution and influence to these fields.