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Roger Kaufman Obituary

Roger Kaufman, PhD, CPT, 88, passed away the evening of Wednesday, September 23, 2020. Roger is survived by his wife, Jan of 56 years; his three children, Nancy (Mike), Jac (Stefanie) and Richard; grandchildren, Justin (Allison), Billy, Sam, Zack and Sunny.

Roger Kaufman was professor emeritus, Florida State University, and served as Distinguished Research Professor at the Sonora Institute of Technology (Mexico). He received ATD's Distinguished Contribution to Workplace Learning and Performance award. Also, he was a past president, honorary member for life and Thomas Gilbert Award winner, all with ISPI.

In the late 1960's, during his career as an engineer, Roger designed and created with Ken Wallace, the first turbine car to race in the Indianapolis 500. Roger has published 41 books and 315 articles on strategic planning, performance improvement, quality management and continual improvement, needs assessment, management, and evaluation.

He consulted world-wide with public, private and NGO organizations, the most recent of which include the President and Minister of Tourism of Panama, the University of Puerto Rico, the Civil Service Commissions of Taiwan, and the Tze-Chain Foundation of Science and Technology, as well as the Korean Government.

At Florida State he created the Center for Needs Assessment and Planning that did applied research and development. The literature often sites him as "the father of needs assessment." The International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) created the Roger Kaufman Award for Societal Impact. The Kaufman Award, first instituted in 2014, recognizes outstanding social impact at the public, private and non-governmental levels. The Kaufman Center, created this year, is the custodian of Roger's legacy, a think tank dedicated to promote Roger's Mega thinking in social value-adding projects and ideas. Roger was a Fellow of the American Psychological Association as well as of the American Educational Research Association.

A Florida State University Scholarship will be created in Roger's memory. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Kaufman Center through ISPI at https://gf.me/u/y2hwb5

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Tallahassee Democrat from Sep. 24 to Sep. 26, 2020.

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Stephen Rodriguez, PhD

September 19, 2023

Roger was a good man and strong academic person. I remain grateful for his help and his scholarly contributions. God bless him. God bless us all.

Stephen Rodriguez PhD

September 18, 2022

I miss Roger and think about him often. He was a unique, highly intelligent man who had real class. He helped me quite a lot. I remain grateful. And I pray that his lovely wife, Jan, is doing well. God bless Dr. Roger Kaufman.

Kenneth Ducote

March 24, 2021

I had a conversation with Roger in 1982 at the Annual Conference of the International Society for Educational Planning. Our short discussion brought focus on my research and professional orientation that forever changed my work to achieving societal outcomes, not just outputs.

Stephen Rodriguez PhD

December 4, 2020

Roger was my faculty advisor when I arrived at FSU in the fall of 1984 to start the Instructional Systems Doctoral Program. He was a wonderful man. He helped me to publish an article in the Journal of Instructional Development (JID) when I was working at FSU'S Center for Instructional Development and Services. I worked there for three years with Dennis Thorp, Sandy Hull-Calhoun, and many others.

Roger was instrumental in my getting my first faculty position in 1989 at San José State University in Northern California. He was very helpful to me in many ways.

I also completed an internship at the Center for Needs Assessment and Planning which Roger founded under the guidance of Dr. Robert Stakenas, Great experience.

I'm sad that Dr. Kauffman has passed. I will remember him always. Blessings to all. Stephen

Diane s Fryman

October 2, 2020

Dr. Kaufman was an amazing professional, down to earth person and inspiration to all who knew him. FSU was a better institution because if his contributions and he will be remembered with great fondness by all. A real loss for the HPI profession. We are thankful to have had his active contributions for so many years.

Sandeep Rahangdale

September 27, 2020

We are all better for what you added to the world, and already miss you.

ann gabor

September 25, 2020

RIP Roger and this is the day that my father died and you are a new angel in Heaven. Send Jeff my love.

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