Professor Emeritus Lucio Chiaraviglio passed away in late July. Beginning his career at Georgia Tech in 1968, Chiaraviglio helped shape computing at the Institute, and helped lay the groundwork for what would become the College of Computing.

Along the way, Chiaraviglio touched many lives and influenced countless careers. Some of the memories shared by his former students and colleagues this week are below.

Founding Dean and Professor Emeritus Peter Freeman - “Lucio was a living testimonial to the classical concept of a university as a community of intelligent, broad, and caring scholars who respect and communicate frequently with each other. His impact on several generations of students and young faculty at Georgia Tech starting in 1968 and extending to his retirement in 1992 will long outlast direct memory of him in the successes of those he guided toward impactful careers, a number of whom have been and continue to be leaders in the College of Computing.”

Charlotte B. and Roger C. Warren Chair of Computing Rich DeMillo - “I was one of Lucio’s first students and I watched carefully how he simultaneously embraced and challenged his PhD students. He was very formal but was also a warm presence in the lives of his students.  Regarding his formal nature, his lectures in logic and set theory were often carried out in a completely formal way and with a minimum of English intruding into the presentation. He would usually fill several blackboard panels with formulas from formal logic. He wrote out his lectures longhand and passed them out to students at the start of class. I still have faded copies. Many of us loved it, but as you might imagine most of the class was looking for something a little less intimidating.”

College of Computing Professor Mustaque Ahamad - “I fondly remember the interesting lunch time conversations Lucio used to ‘lead’ in the library cafeteria next to the Rich building. He looked great the last time I saw him a few years ago. Indeed, he was great help to the newcomers and perhaps that is why many of us are now the ‘old timers’.”

Regents' Professor Emeritus Janet Kolodner - “Lucio was a really wonderful helper to me when I arrived. He spent a lot of time looking out for me and was the one who suggested I apply for money for our first and second Lisp machines. He also made sure I was introduced to all of the Jewish faculty on campus so I would feel comfortable in my new home in the south. I think he was serving as Ray’s internal person, making sure the new faculty were well taken care of, but much of what he did was just because he was a really nice man who cared so much about us.”

John Gehl, former Georgia Tech computer science senior research engineer - “It was fun when Lucio put on his battle gear to lead his troops in one of those interminable faculty apocalyptic wars. I was amused and surprised when Lucio eventually became a fierce advocate for a hard-core computer science program that stuck to its knitting, and didn't dabble in other subjects, such as psychology. I say surprised because that wasn't the Lucio I had known: he was more of a polymath, interested in absolutely everything, not just computers. That's the point at which Lucio turned from the old Lucio to the new Lucio. A fascinating metamorphosis. But he was still, and always, good ol' Lucio. He was a great man, and ‘those were the days, my friends.’”