In Memory of Past President Gerald Engel

It is with great regret that we report the sad news that one of our beloved past Presidents, Dr. Gerald Engel, passed away this August.  Dr. Engel, fondly known to our community as Jerry, is survived by his wife Doris, his daughter Samantha, and his son Shannon.

Jerry was born in Cleveland, Ohio on July 5, 1942.  He attended Hampden-Sydney College, Louisiana State University and Penn State University, where he received his Ph.D.  Jerry’s professional affiliations include serving as a professor at Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, Old Dominion University, and the University of Connecticut at Stamford.

Jerry served in several leadership roles in IEEE Computer Society, IEEE, CSAB, and ABET.  He held positions as Vice President of Education, Vice President of Chapters, and Vice President of Conferences and Tutorials.  He also served as President of the IEEE Computer Society. Jerry has served as a program evaluator in computer engineering and computer science programs for CSAB and ABET, and as a commissioner and President of CSAB.  He has also served as a member of ABET Board of Directors. He was a Fellow of both CSAB and ABET.

Jerry had a key leadership role in developing one of the first model curricula for computer science, as well as in the formation of CSAB, and the development of its accreditation criteria.

In addition, Jerry was committed to diversity and gender equity in computing. He served a two-year term as President of the Society on Social Implications of Technology, chaired the IEEE Ethics Committee, encouraged HBCUs to seek accreditation, and helped on an ACM project on the development of computers and society course outlines and materials.

Jerry is remembered by his friends at CSAB for not only his major contributions to computer science and his collegiality, but also his love of U.S. National Parks and his long career as “soccer dad,” officiating matches. He will be missed by all.

Donations in Jerry’s memory can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.