We were saddened to learn of the loss of longtime ABET Expert and Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) member Anne-Louise Guichard Radimsky on July 2, 2020.
Radimsky served as a program evaluator for CSAC prior to CSAB’s integration with ABET in 2001. After CSAB joined ABET, she continued her involvement in computing accreditation activities as an ABET Program Evaluator, Team Chair, Commissioner and member of the CAC Executive Committee.
A native of France, Radimsky earned her bachelor’s degree in systems theory with a specialization in avionics from the École Nationale Superieure de l’Aeronautique in 1963. She worked as an aerospace engineer before earning a scholarship to study computer science in the U.S. at the University of California (UC), Berkeley. Radimsky was awarded a master of science in electrical engineering and computer science in 1967, and her doctorate in 1973. She was one of only three women to receive a doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science from UC Berkeley that year, and one of 14 that decade. After graduating, she was hired as the first female computer science faculty member at UC Davis. Radimsky truly was a computing pioneer, and there is no doubt that she will continue to inspire women in STEM fields.
In 1979, Radimsky joined the Department of Computer Science at California State University, Sacramento, where she stayed until retiring as Professor of Computer Science Emerita nearly three decades later. She was a Senior Member of IEEE and Vice-Chair of the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) Sacramento Chapter, as well as a member of the Society of Women Engineers and Sigma Xi.
At ABET, Radimsky served as a commissioner on the CAC from 2006 to 2011 and re-joined the Commission in 2016 for her second five-year term. She had been serving on the CAC Executive Committee (ExCom) as a Member-at-Large since 2019. In her 20 years of service, Radimsky participated in 25 accreditation visits, including several program visits throughout the Middle East. We are grateful for the dedication and contributions she made to ABET, and she will be missed.
To honor her memory, the Radimsky family has set up a memorial scholarship fund in her name through California State University of Sacramento. Donations can be made to the Dr. Anne-Louise Radimsky Memorial Fund in Computer Science online or by mail using this form.
Here are a few reflections from those who had the privilege of working with Radimsky over the years:
“I thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend time with Anne-Louise during the Annual July Commission Meetings. She was so gracious and had kind of an old-world charm about her, I guess that came from her French heritage. I could tell she was a ‘renaissance person’ with wide-ranging interests and expertise beyond computing, but I had no idea she was such a pioneer, such a force in the STEM arena. To me, she was just a quiet, friendly little lady with whom I enjoyed having dinner.”
– Judith L. Solano, Ph.D., Director Emerita, University of North Florida; Member of the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission
“I first met Anne-Louise when we served as Program Evaluators on a computing accreditation visit to an institution in Maryland. I quickly learned she was thorough and fair in her evaluations and had a keen memory for details. We met again in New Commissioner training when we both began service on the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) in 2006. We spent many a dinner discussing accreditation and our upcoming visits. She was a dedicated professional, committed to service in computing education and the computing profession. She was an active participant in CAC meetings and was willing to travel to distant and sometimes challenging locations. She spoke fluent English with a wonderful French accent, and we will miss hearing her voice at our meetings!”
– Lois Mansfield, former Software Engineering IT Specialist at Raytheon Company; Member of the CAC; 2015-16 CAC Chair
“I enjoyed getting to know Anne-Louise when she joined the CAC. It was fascinating to hear about her history in coming from France and being among the early pioneers of women in computing. Anne-Louise successfully navigated what was then a male-dominated profession and served as a positive role model for other women in the process. Her contributions to CAC as a commissioner and ExCom member will be sorely missed.”
– Donna S. Reese, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Mississippi State University; 2020 ABET Fellow; Member of the CAC and 2017-18 CAC Chair
“As a new Team Chair in CAC, Madam Anne-Louise served as my mentor and editor. We exchanged a series of emails in 2019. I learned a lot from Madam Anne-Louise. She always encouraged me and left the room opened for me to call for advice. She always provided precise suggestions and examples. She was full of energy and enthusiasm to help others grow. She even helped me revamp my writing in French!”
– Amos O. Olagunju, Professor Emeritus, Department of Computer Science & IT, St. Cloud State University; Member of the CAC
“Despite decades of living in the U.S., Anne-Louise never lost her dry European sense of humor. Even though I had served as her editor on a couple of her site visits as Team Chair, I didn’t really get to know her well until she first got on the CAC ExCom as an At-Large Member. When I had emailed the ExCom about a sensitive societal matter we were discussing, I received a response from Anne-Louise that was straight out of left field and I was totally taken aback. At dinner a couple of days later, she turned to me and said, ‘I hope you knew I was joking, didn’t you?’ And I, who had been completely fooled, smiled back weakly. After that, I always relished getting emails from her and enjoying her wry sense of humor.”
– Rajendra K. Raj, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Rochester Institute of Technology; 2020-21 CAC Chair-Elect
“I met Anne-Louise in 2003 on an ABET visit and had the pleasure of working with her in various endeavors over the past 17 years. I thought I knew her pretty well; however, I just happened to read an interview with Anne-Louise published by the IEEE Computer Society and learned that I had no idea what an impressive, courageous, groundbreaking woman she was. That she received her Ph.D. in EE and CS from Berkeley in 1973 and was the first female faculty member in Computer Science at UC Davis are just a few examples of her aptitude and courage. I highly recommend reading the interview with Anne-Louise here. My interaction with Anne-Louise was unfortunately limited to her volunteer work for CAC and CSAB, as a program evaluator (PEV) and fastidious editor. When looking for PEVs for reviews, Anne-Louise was the volunteer who never said, ‘No.’ It didn’t matter if it was a visit that no one else would do, if it was at all possible she always volunteered her time and considerable effort. The computing accreditation community is certainly poorer for her loss.”
– Stan Thomas, Ph.D., Department of Computer Science, Wake Forest University; ABET Adjunct Director of Training; 2018 ABET Fellow; 2014-15 CAC Chair; Member of the Computing Area Delegation and Program Evaluator Assignor for CSAB
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