Norman Frederick Roderick, former chair of the Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Department in the School of Engineering, died April 6 from natural causes.

He is survived by his wife Judith, his daughter Heather Ginn, her husband Eric and grandson Zachary, his son Kevin and grandson Vaclav, his sisters-in-laws Diane Martin and family, Sandra Klink and family, his cousin Arlene Sidiqqi and family.

Roderick was born in McKeesport, Penn. in 1940. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and received his master's and Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan.

He worked at the rocket test track at Holloman AFB, was a faculty member of the Department of Aeronautics at the US Air Force Academy, and was a faculty member of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering at the University of New Mexcio for more than 30 years.

He was a senior member of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a member of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), a member of the American Physical Society (APS), and a fellow of IEEE. He had a long, successful carreer in research and consulting in the Air Force, at UNM, Los Alamos National Lab and at Numberex, specializing in high-density plasma physics. He was blessed with a great life, family, friends and career.

Roderick led the nuclear engineering program through a particularly difficult time during the eighties and nineties and also served as interim chair of the ChNE department on a number of occasions. He was the consummate professional, a respected and dedicated faculty member who was much loved by students, and an outstanding teacher, researcher and mentor. He also had a wonderful sense of humor. He will be greatly missed but fondly remembered.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorials be made to the University of New Mexico scholarship fund “Excellence in Nuclear Engineering”

Checks should be made payable to the UNM Foundation and on the memo line include “Excellence in Nuclear Engineering” in memory of Norman Roderick.

Please send checks to:
The University of New Mexico
School of Engineering Dean's Office
Attn: Betty Karlsson
Albuquerque, NM 87131