Obituaries

  • Gerald Nadler

    Gerald Nadler

    Professor Emeritus

    Professor emeritus of USC Viterbi’s Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the IBM Chair Emeritus in Engineering Management, died July 28. He was 90.

  • John Choma

    John Choma

    Professor in the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering.

    Professor in the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering. He passed away the morning of August 10, 2014.

Professor Emeritus Gerald Nadler, 90

Gerald Nadler, professor emeritus of USC Viterbi’s Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the IBM Chair Emeritus in Engineering Management, died July 28. He was 90.

Nadler was a worldwide leader in industrial and systems engineering. He made key contributions in multidisciplinary system planning and design methodologies, and in the teaching of technological literacy to non-engineering students. Nadler served as ISE chair from 1983 to 1993.

Joining USC in 1983, he authored more than 225 articles and 15 books, and delivered more than 900 presentations worldwide. One of his books, Breakthrough Thinking: Why We Must Change the Way We Solve Problems, and the Seven Principles to Achieve This, has been translated into 10 languages.

Nadler was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1986 and selected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society of Engineering Education. He also served as president of the Institute of Industrial Engineers from 1989 to 1990.

John Choma

Professor in the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering. He passed away the morning of August 10, 2014.

Choma joined the USC faculty in 1980 and was promoted to Professor of Electrical Engineering in 1991. He was well known for his outstanding teaching. He received the school’s teaching award in 1984. He was also recognized by other organizations on campus with the Tau Beta Pi teaching award in 1983, the Mortar Board teaching award in 1984, and the Eta Kappa Nu teaching award in 1987. He was a teaching fellow at the USC Center of Excellence in Teaching in 1991 and was named Outstanding Professor in 1998 and 1999 by the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.

For the many students and colleagues who had the pleasure of working with him, Choma was a positive force who brought out the best in those around him. He took immense pride in his students and helped them to achieve their educational aspirations.