We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our former ABET President, Chief Accreditation Officer (CAO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO) Joseph “Joe” Sussman, Ph.D. His vision, service and dedication advanced quality assurance in higher education and shaped the very core of our organization.
Sussman earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering from Columbia University. He spent 26 years of his professional career at Bayer AG, where he led many of the company’s quality, manufacturing and IT efforts before retiring from industry as a senior business executive.
Sussman joined ABET in 1987 as a Program Evaluator (PEV), eventually working his way up to chair of the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) in 1999 and ABET President in 2008-2009. His visionary leadership helped guide one of the most significant transformations in ABET history: the introduction of Engineering Criteria 2000 (EC2000). This groundbreaking shift moved accreditation beyond measuring what students were taught to evaluating what they had truly learned — a change that continues to impact science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education worldwide.
As a member of the ABET Board of Directors, Sussman also played an essential role in expanding our reach internationally, supporting the accreditation of programs outside the United States for the first time in the early 2000s. His many contributions were recognized with the ABET Fellow Award in 2002 and the prestigious Linton E. Grinter Distinguished Service Award in 2015.
In 2011, Sussman joined the ABET staff as CAO and later also became CIO. In these roles, he led the development of ABET’s Accreditation Management System 2.0, revolutionizing the way we manage every aspect of the accreditation process. Colleagues valued not only his ability to focus complex discussions into actionable steps but also his humor, warmth and steady leadership.
After nearly four decades of dedicated service as both a volunteer and staff leader, he retired from ABET on January 31, 2024.
We will miss Joseph L. Sussman and will remain forever grateful for his many contributions to our organization and STEM education. His impact will undoubtedly resonate for generations of students, educators and professionals around the globe.
Read more about his life and career in his ABET Spotlight. Learn more about his service and leave a condolence message here.
“Joe’s passion for improving the quality of education touched thousands of students around the world. Over his 37 years of service as both a volunteer and senior staff member, he poured his heart and hard work into ABET. His commitment was a defining quality, creating a remarkable legacy that touched every facet of our work. We will miss him dearly.” – Michael K.J. Milligan, Ph.D., P.E., Chief Executive Officer at ABET
“Joe’s accomplishments and awards were many, but what truly defined him was his legacy as a leader, mentor and champion of others’ success. He had a rare ability to make people feel bigger, more confident and more comfortable in their own skin. Joe’s humor, wisdom and steady encouragement inspired so many of us to grow in ways we never thought possible. His presence will be deeply missed, but his impact lives on in the countless lives he touched.” – Jane Emmet, Senior Director of Accreditation Operations at ABET