Rodger D. Drabick was a nationally recognized quality
engineering and systems testing expert with extensive
experience in the Software Engineering Institute's Capability
Maturity Model for software and process improvement.
For nearly three decades in software quality assurance
and testing, he was responsible for SQA initiatives
and developing process improvement action plans at companies
such as Amtrak, Bell-Atlantic, the Federal Aviation
Authority, Kodak, and Lockheed Martin. He passed away
in December 2007.
"Rodger was a long-time friend dating back to
when we both worked for the Eastman Kodak Company. He
was a giant in the field of software testing, starting
from the days when we tested without a plan, and from
those early days, he helped develop software testing
into a respected career. We will miss you, Rodger."
—Bill Perry, coauthor of
Surviving the Top Ten
Challenges of Software Testing
"I was a colleague of Rodger's when we were both
at Kodak. I always had great respect for Rodger's dedication
to software quality and testing, and for his professionalism.
Plus, he was just a super nice guy. We stayed in touch
after we both left Kodak, and he was a very helpful
reviewer for one of my books, on software peer reviews.
I enjoyed exchanging periodic updates by e-mail with
Rodger, and I will miss his good humor and great attitude.
My thoughts are with his family."
—Karl Wiegers, author of
Creating a Software
Engineering Culture
"I have had the pleasure of working with Rodger
and learning from his vast knowledge in software quality.
When I went to my first QAI software testing conference
in 1989, Rodger had been speaking about software testing
and QA for many years. After hearing Rodger speak, I
truly realized how much I didn't know about software
quality! I have always looked up to him, counting him
among the few pioneers upon whose shoulders we stand
in the practice of software testing and QA today. I
will remember him as one of the foundational people
in my career. I will miss him!"
—Randy Rice, coauthor of
Surviving the Top Ten
Challenges of Software Testing
"I did not know Rodger, but I admired his work
and put it to good practice. Here is how:
"A few years ago, my
brother Bradley accepted a position at Microsoft as
a testing manager. Bradley had been in test for years,
but Microsoft was a different place. He did not understand
what they were doing! Microsoft's practices made no
sense to him. He thought he had made a mistake, and
was ready to call it quits.
"Bradley and I started
to talk on Saturdays. We explored what had happened
during the previous week and discussed actions to take
for the coming week and beyond. The real issue was that
Bradley knew a great deal about test and Microsoft didn't.
We used Rodger's book to validate Bradley's experiences
and to build a strategy to change Microsoft.
"Rodger's book was our
template, our guide, and our reference source. In three
years, Bradley went from a baffled leader of a small
team of five testers to a visionary test manager leading
more than 150 testers assigned to a major product. During
this time, Bradley became well-loved for bringing sanity
and order to both the testing and development processes.
"Rodger was unaware of
how his work contributed to the betterment of the lives
of many people living in the Seattle region. How were
these lives better? Here is one example:
"In Bradley's division,
the regular product release cycle aimed at the end of
the year. Before Bradley started at Microsoft, most
of the 150 testers could not be with their families
and their children during the year-end holidays. It
was sad. This caused all sorts of conflict and disappointment.
However, after embracing Rodger's best practices, development
and test were so well controlled that every member of
Bradley's organization was able to take all the time
he or she needed to be with family during the holidays.
"What a fine legacy
to leave: Rodger will be missed even by people who never
knew him."
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