Walt Scacchi Honored with ICS Distinguished Alumnus Award

ISR research professor Walt Scacchi (Ph.D. ’81), received the Donald Bren School of ICS’s 2012 Distinguished Alumnus Award at the 42nd annual Lauds & Laurels ceremony in May.

Dating back to his time as a graduate student, Scacchi has conducted nearly 40 years of research that has contributed significantly to the study of open source software development, large-scale software engineering and systems integration, and computer game culture and technology.  His research combines technical innovation with a keen understanding of the important role that social factors play in the adoption of new technologies.  Scacchi’s research record includes more than 150 refereed publications.  His projects have received support from a wide range of sponsors, including Digital Industry Promotion Agency of Daegu, Korea, Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, CA, Intel Research Laboratories, Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, Northrop Grumman, and the San Francisco Symphony.  In addition, he regularly serves as principal investigator on National Science Foundation grants, including a $3 million four-year award received in 2008 to investigate a socio-technical approach to developing and using virtual activity systems.  

Scacchi earned undergraduate degrees in computer science and mathematics at Cal State Fullerton and then joined UC Irvine’s graduate program in Information and Computer Science.  He completed his Ph.D. degree in 1981 and accepted a faculty position at the University of Southern California where he spent 17 years before returning to UCI in 1999.

Scacchi reflected: “It is an extraordinary honor to be recognized with this award by my friends and colleagues in the School of Information and Computer Sciences at UCI.”

ISR congratulates Dr. Scacchi on his award!

Read more about Prof. Scacchi's Distinguished Alumnus award here.