In Memoriam: Vicki L. Hanson

Vicki L. Hanson

It is with great sadness that we inform you that ACM’s former CEO and President, Vicki L. Hanson, passed away on January 20. As no doubt many of you know, Vicki gave many, many years of service to our SIG, until she was elected ACM President in 2016. Then from 2018 to 2025, she served as ACM CEO, and no doubt touched every one of our lives, directly or indirectly. As we remember Vicki and grieve her loss, we invited members of our community — you all — to share a few words of remembrance or condolence. Here they are below.

If you’d like to add a note, please email it to sigchi-president@acm.org.

Deepest condolences to John and family, and to all who worked closely with Vicki. I am so saddened to learn of Vicki’s passing. I will always hold her in my memories with great respect and appreciation. She did so much to encourage and support early career researchers, and I feel truly privileged to be among those whose journey in accessible computing was indelibly shaped by opportunities she created.

Faustina Hwang (University of Reading, UK)

One of Vicki’s papers made a huge impact on my thinking and career. It was called “Writing about accessibility” in Interactions many years ago (actually that was a redo of an earlier rendition I treasured). She became a kind of hero to me because a) she was a prominent SIGCHI member who later grew to more prominence in the ACM who championed tech work for accessibility; and b) she taught me how to write about Deaf people instead of “the Deaf”. What a difference that made on me and a whole host of postgrads to come. It was noble, respectful, and resonates so deeply with participatory methods that establish relationships. Even though I didn’t meet her personally, I felt she encouraged us to think differently about engagement and encounters with people rather than merely writing about ‘them’. Perhaps I read too much into what they wrote in that paper, but every time I see her name in ACM emails or pubs, I just think of the first time I read that, and was like, wow, this person got it; and shared it with us. That’s a hero for sure.

Bill Tucker (Stellenbosch University, South Africa)

I did not know Vicki personally, nor did I ever have the chance to meet her. Yet, her work profoundly inspired me when I was just beginning my journey in HCI. I recall reading her research and finding it deeply relevant to my own interests — particularly in making digital spaces more accessible for older adults. Her contributions continue to guide and shape how many of us think about inclusion and accessibility in computing.

Priyankar Bhattacharjee (IIIT-Delhi, India)

As someone who was lucky to go from an unknown colleague from Portugal to a mentee and a friend, I can only say that people are measured by the impact they have on others. In Vicki’s case, this impact was natural, effortless — you could feel her strength, her kindness, in every word, without having to try or pretend. I feel very lucky to have shared time with Vicki, her family, and to have mutual friends. I am proud that she saw some spark in me. My thoughts are with John, Kaelin, and Bran.

Tiago Guerreiro (Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal)

I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dr Vicki Hanson. While many of us know Vicki through her excellent work as the President and CEO of the ACM, I knew her best through her work in the HCI community, her time in Dundee as a member of SICSA and as a colleague who was deeply passionate about building the future of computing for the next generation of scholars. While Vicki is no longer here, I will see her everytime I attend CHI, each time I read her work on accessibility and her legacy for HCI and computing globally.

Aaron Quigley (Australian National University, Australia)

Vicki was a true leader in the field of inclusive and accessible technologies. She gave generously of her time and talent. She will be deeply missed.

Joanna McGrenere (University of British Columbia, Canada)

Vicki left a lasting impact on HCI and especially on accessibility. She touched the lives of so many of us, as scholar, role model, mentor, and friend. I will miss her.

Stephanie Ludi (University of North Texas, USA)

Such a sad loss. Vicki was always kind and thoughtful, especially to early career academics.

Lynne Baillie (Heriot-Watt University, UK)

As I shared with Vicki’s family, the news of her passing really struck me like a thunder! There are few words to express what this loss represents for the ACM family, the computing community, and me personally. We worked really closely for 3 years as president and CEO, respectively, and she was instrumental in getting me off the ground, embracing many ideas in my vision, gently steering me away from others when she felt they would lead to troubled waters, injecting her vast experience into our discussions, and supporting me in every step. We also interacted frequently for many years before that in various capacities and roles and I always appreciated her way of approaching challenges and working for their resolution. Her passion, her kindness, and her generosity were abundant and always captured in her smile, which is forever engraved in my mind.

Yannis Ioannidis (University of Athens, Greece)

That is really sad news. I knew Vicki well from her time at Dundee University. She was an excellent supporter of HCI in Scotland and really contributed to our community. She was a great person to work with and talk to about all aspects of HCI and research. I will really miss her.

Stephen Brewster (University of Glasgow, UK)

Very sad news, she gave important contributions in the areas of human-computer interaction, and accessibility, my condolences to her family.

Fabio Paterno (CNR-ISTI, Pisa, Italy)

I am very sorry to hear about Vicki’s passing, please send my condolences to her family. Vicki was a great mentor to me during HLF mentorship program, this is truly a great loss to CHI community.

Bektour Ryskeldiev (University of Tsukuba, Japan)

Thank you, Vicki, for leading with care, listening with intention, and believing in your community. I know I join many, many others in my deep gratitude for your endless dedication to ACM, your ever-generous support of early career scholars, and your steadfast commitment to making the world a better place. There are so many conversations that come to mind — as I look back — only because you gave your time so generously to anyone who asked. I thank you for all that I have learned from you through the years, in the FCA, SIGCHI, SGB, and beyond. You will always be remembered.

Neha Kumar (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA)