Frederick Anthony Rossini, a Georgia Tech faculty member in social sciences during the 1970s and 1980s, passed away November 15 in Athens, Georgia. 

A leading force in the College of Sciences and Liberal Arts (COSALS), the forerunner to today's Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts), Rossini was among those who advocated a focus on science and technology policy for liberal arts at Georgia Tech.  He played a key role in establishing the Technology and Science Policy (TASP) Master's Program, which became today's public policy degrees.  His research interest was technology forecasting, assessment and management, and he served as director of the Technology, Policy, and Assessment Center (TPAC).  He worked with Tom Stelson, Vice-President for Research at Georgia Tech; then moved to George Mason University as Vice-Provost and then Provost.  He was a co-founder of the International Association for Impact Assessment.

He was the son of Frederick D. Rossini, an influential scientist in chemical thermodynamics. A memorial service will be held Saturday, December 10, from 2pm to 5pm (remarks will begin at 3pm) at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens, 780 Timothy Road, Athens, Georgia, 30606.

Contact: fredrossinicelebration@gmail.com or Laura Rossini 718-926-1968

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Fred's name may be made to The Fund for Souther Communities or Citizen Advocacy Athens-Clarke

Obituary

Frederick Anthony Rossini, 72, of Athens, GA, died unexpectedly November 15th. Born September 20, 1939 in Washington DC to Frederick Dominic Rossini and Anne Landgraff. He is survived by his loving wife Ann Mahoney; three children: Anthony Joseph (the late Sally Liu), Laura Maria, and Jon Dominic (Paula); grandchildren Matthias Dominic and Andreas Timothy; and first wife and mother of his children, Maria "Tina" Miranda. Fred received his B.S. (Spring Hill College 1962) and his Ph.D. in Physics (UC Berkeley 1968). He served as a faculty member and administrator at UC Berkeley, Georgia Institute of Technology, and George Mason University. At Georgia Tech he served as the Director of the Technology Policy and Assessment Center and the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs before moving to George Mason in 1989 as Vice Provost and then Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs (1993-1996). A PICMET Fellow, he was a member of Sigma Xi, AAAS, IEEE, and a co-founder of the International Association for Impact Assessment. He authored, edited or co-authored ten books and over 75 articles, primarily in the field of Impact Assessment. Fred contributed in the community as current Treasurer for the Fund for Southern Communities and President of the Board of Citizen Advocacy of Athens-Clarke, as well as teaching meditation in prisons and helping establish Zen Space in Little Five Points. Formerly an active runner, he enjoyed bird watching with his loving wife, Ann. Energetic and avid to learn new things, he was impatient with pretense but willing to invest himself in things he valued, from coaching his children in sports to serving as a visionary organizational leader. A spiritual man, he meditated and studied Buddhist texts. His generosity of spirit was sometimes hidden, but prized by those close to him. People who knew Fred smiled when he laughed and sought his advice. A man of simple tastes, he valued good craftsmanship in all things, and encouraged his children to hold sacred the important things in life and let go of the trappings. There will be a celebration of his life on Saturday December 10th from 2:00-5:00pm in Athens (fredrossin icelebration@gmail.com for information). Donations can be made in his name to the Fund for Southern Communities or Citizen Advocacy Athens-Clarke.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/atlanta/obituary.aspx?n=frederick-rossini&pid=154757405