Ohio State University (1997)
Citation
For over twenty years of ACM leadership, including initiatives to increase ACM's international presence and public policy influence, and his tireless devotion to bringing the chapters activities to greater prominence; leading ACM's efforts in computing science accreditation; rewriting Association bylaws and policies; and steering publications projects resulting in improved review processes and more timely publication.


Press Release

Stuart Zweben has served ACM in many capacities since his earliest days of leadership in the Central Ohio Chapter of the ACM, which started over 20 years ago. In the mid 1980s, as Chairman of the Chapters Committee (and later the Chapters Board) he led the Chapters area to greater prominence and effectiveness within the Association.

He has led several activities involving the rewriting of ACM bylaws and policies, including those which led to the downsizing of Council, changes in the structure of the nominating committee, and in the operation and management of chapters. The Association and many of the SIGs are still operating under the revised bylaws and Policies developed during his four-year term as Chairman of the ACM Constitution and Bylaws Committee.

Stuart served as an ACM representative to the Computing Science Accreditation Board (CSAB) for seven years. For four of those years he served as Vice President and President of the Board, helping it achieve viability as an independent accrediting organization as well as increased acceptance within the computing science community. During his term on the Board, CSAB also achieved recognition by the U. S. Department of Education and the Council on Postsecondary Education.

As a member of the Publications Board, Stuart initiated a process for the periodic review of ACM journals intended to provide assessments of current progress and to help formulate potential new directions. He later led an ACM Computing Surveys review team which recommended significant changes resulting in improved editorial content and more timely publication of this important ACM journal.

As Vice President, and then President of ACM, Stuart focused on internationalization and public policy projects. He also worked tirelessly on more internally focused efforts, always serving as the number one advocate for ACM members, and helping to improve communication among volunteers and between volunteers and staff. He was instrumental in guiding new student- oriented initiatives to completion. We now have the student publication Crossroads, an expanded programming contest, and an active student committee with students as its primary membership.

Stuart can look with great pride on the success of other high-profile projects from his administration, most notably ACM97, the ACM 50th Anniversary Celebration, and the Kasparov- Deep Blue Chess match. Yet he would be the first to say that none of these things would have achieved the success they did without the hard work of the entire community of ACM volunteers and staff. His record of service to ACM is substantial, but his appreciation and recognition of the importance of cooperation and of the work of the entire ACM volunteer and staff community is an equally vital legacy to the Association. We can all take great pride in the awarding of the ACM Outstanding Contribution Award to one of our finest models of the ACM Volunteer, Stuart H. Zweben.