The department is sad to announce that Jeff Rickel (Ph.D. '95) passed away from complications due to cancer. Bruce Porter says "He was one of the best students I've had the pleasure to work with." After graduating, he joined the excellent AI group at USC/ISI.
"As a Project Leader in the Center for Advanced Research in Technology for Education, Jeff's contributions in the areas of pedagogical agents and intelligent learning environments were internationally recognized. He was the architect of the Steve pedagogical agent, and was a major contributor to the USC Institute for Creative Technology's Mission Rehearsal Exercise and other noteworthy projects. He had a keen intellect, a strong commitment to his work, and a collaborative working style, all of which earned him great respect and appreciation among his colleagues and students. The research community has lost a valued contributor and a dear friend. Jeff is survived by his wife Lynn and daughter Chelsea." -Herb Schorr 2003
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