Roland Schinzinger 1926-2004

Roland Schinzinger
1926-2004

Roland Schinzinger, Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, passed away on January 25, 2004.

Professor Schinzinger joined UCI in 1966 as an assistant professor, one of the first three faculty members of the school and a founding faculty of the new campus. His area of expertise was power systems engineering and energy engineering. During his career, he served the school in the capacities of associate dean for undergraduate student affairs, associate dean for graduate affairs and on occasion as acting dean. He also held a long-term joint appointment in the graduate school and was instrumental in developing a program in operations research. He was a compassionate and considerate faculty, a father-figure to his students. He was the academic director of the energy scholars program and a mentor to the students who participated in independent studies of the electric vehicle. He was dedicated to teaching ethics and was co- author of the book, "Ethics in Engineering." He wrote, "Technology should be viewed as an experiment on a societal scale. Its practitioners should be viewed as experimenters. Such a perspective can reveal much about the responsibilities inherent in engineering and the need for serious attention to professional ethics." Although he retired in December 1992, he remained active on the campus and was recalled many quarters to continue his teaching.

Professor Schinzinger and his family were among the first residents of the City of Irvine and he has lived in University Park for many years. He served on the Irvine Planning Commission, as a member of the energy committees for the city and the county and was the founder of the bicycle trails found throughout Irvine today.

Professor Schinzinger received his B.S. in 1953, M.S. 1954, and Ph.D. in 1966; all degrees were earned at U.C. Berkeley. Professor Robert Saunders, the founding dean of the UCI School of Engineering, was his graduate advisor.

Professor Schinzinger's memorial, in the form of a Quaker meeting for worship, will be held in the University Club on Saturday, February 7, 2004, at 2:00 p.m. Testimonials from friends are welcome at the service. Additionally, a Web site has been established to accept testimonials www.schinzinger.com.