In Memoriam
John Rees, 1981 – 2011
The College of Engineering and Computer Science was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of John Rees, a 2009 graduate and master’s candidate in computer science, on October 26, 2011. John was enthusiastic about the CSUN computer science department and faculty and was looking forward to successfully completing his master’s thesis and working on a startup venture. John died unexpectedly in his sleep.
Professor Ed Hriber, 1930 – 2012
Edward Hriber, emeritus professor of electrical and computer engineering, passed away on Sunday, July 10, 2012, shortly after an operation on his heart.
Ed was born in 1930 in Newcastle, PA, and moved to Youngstown, Ohio, at the age of eight. He received a degree in chemical engineering from Purdue University and a graduate degree in control systems from St. Louis University. He worked for Monsanto Chemicals in Houston for two years before coming to Cal State Northridge, or San Fernando Valley State College, as it was called then, in 1964.
Edward Hriber
He received many teaching awards including “Professor of the Year” for many years from students of the engineering honor society Tau Beta Pi. He also received a CSUN Distinguished Teaching Award in 1974. He was named a Fellow of the Institute for the Advancement of Engineering in 1989.
He taught many courses using a television link to students at industries off campus, and for years he served as the graduate coordinator of his department. Ed retired in 1992.
Ed had many lifelong interests, including cinema and history. For a short time he co-owned a bookstore, FireSide Books, in Duncans Mills, in Northern California. Ed remained intellectually active until the end.
He was a gentle, friendly, mild-mannered man who was much appreciated by his students, colleagues, neighbors and friends. Ed will be greatly missed. [Provided by retired computer science professor John Motil] •
Professor Bill Rivers, 1936 – 2012
Emeritus faculty member William J. Rivers of the mechanical engineering department, passed away on Sunday, October 14, 2012. His many friends and former students from the college were extremely sad to learn of his passing.
Above, a memorial celebration organized by Prof. John Motil and his family in which friends and students gathered to celebrate Prof. Hriber’s life. Prof. Hriber’s students Bill Sutherland ‘69, ‘73; Vaughn Cable ‘70, ‘72; and Harlis Brend ‘64, ‘71, are pictured on bottom.
Bill Rivers
Bill was born in Lakeland, Florida, where he grew up. A serious student, he earned his BSME from the University of Florida, followed by his MSME and Ph.D. from Purdue University. His professional career began at Rocketdyne Corp., but eventually he returned to academia at San Fernando State College (now CSU Northridge). He remained at CSUN for 35 years, retiring as chair of the mechanical engineering department in 2000.
An outdoorsman, he hiked the Sierra Nevada mountains into his late sixties, and then he learned golf in retirement.
He is survived by two sons, Matthew and Steven, his former wife, Miriam, and Donna Kary, his friend and companion for the last two decades.
He touched many lives and made them all better.
