In Memoriam: Michael Clancy

Professor Emeritus Michael J. Clancy, a beloved member of the UC Berkeley EECS community, passed away on December 26, 2024, at the age of 75.

Professor Clancy joined UC Berkeley as a lecturer in 1977, where he quickly became a cornerstone of the Computer Science teaching community. He taught virtually every mainstream course in the CS lower division and played a pivotal role in developing and teaching pedagogy courses for first-time teaching assistants. His dedication to education extended beyond the classroom: he was an early innovator in online learning environments for programming and contributed significantly to the design of self-paced courses, impacting countless students over the years.

In addition to his teaching, Professor Clancy was deeply involved in both the U.S. computer science education community and the emerging field of psychology of programming research. His work in these areas helped shape the way programming is taught and understood.

Professor Clancy co-authored the textbook Oh! Pascal! with Doug Cooper, a staple in many computer science departments and still found on the shelves of current faculty members. His contributions to the field of education, and his commitment to his students, will be remembered fondly by all who had the privilege of working with him.