Ronald Prescott Loui
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Academic Career
Current Position
- Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at Case Western Reserve University
- Former Co-Founder: PeakMetrics (2017-~2020, departed after ~2.5 years)
Previous Positions
- Professor at Washington University in St. Louis (Computer Science & Engineering)
- Professor at University of Illinois Springfield
Education
- Ph.D. - University of Rochester (1987)
- Advisor: Henry E. Kyburg Jr.
- Dissertation focused on computational reasoning and logic
- Bachelor’s Degree - Harvard University (1982)
- Applied Mathematics
- Undergraduate thesis won an ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) award
Research and Expertise
Research Areas
- Scripting and Programming Languages
- Artificial Intelligence and Law
- Defeasible Logic - reasoning with incomplete or conflicting information
- Decision Theory
- Inductive Inference
- Computational Argumentation
Notable Work
- Multiple technical reports and publications on reasoning systems
- Research on policy-based reasoning and precedent-based legal reasoning
- Work on argument games and computational models of argumentation
Academic Recognition
- ACM award for undergraduate thesis (Harvard, 1982)
- Recognized for contributions to philosophy and computer science intersection
- Extensive publication record in AI and logic
Professional Affiliations
- Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
- Computer Science academic community at multiple institutions
Timeline
| File | type | date | location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 - PeakMetrics Founded | business-venture | 2017 | United States |
Sources
- Florence-Chinn-Loui-Obituary-Star-Advertiser
- Ronald-Loui-Wikipedia-Profile
- Terry-Loui-Obituary-Star-Advertiser
Notes
Ronald Prescott Loui is Warren Loui’s brother, making him uncle to Nicholas, Ryan, and Samantha Loui. While Warren pursued a career in law with entrepreneurial ventures in wine-making, Ronald established himself in computer science and artificial intelligence research.
Academic Trajectory
- Harvard undergraduate (Applied Mathematics) - early recognition with ACM award
- Ph.D. from University of Rochester in computational reasoning
- Long tenure at Washington University in St. Louis
- Continued teaching at Case Western Reserve University
Research Focus
Ronald’s work focuses on computational approaches to reasoning, particularly in contexts where:
- Information is incomplete or defeasible
- Legal and policy reasoning is required
- Arguments and counter-arguments must be evaluated
- Decisions must be made under uncertainty
This represents a significant contribution to the intersection of computer science, logic, philosophy, and law.
Family Connection
Brothers’ Parallel Success
Ronald and Warren Loui both achieved professional success in different fields:
- Ronald: Academic career in computer science and AI, co-founder of PeakMetrics
- Warren: Legal practice, academia (USC Law), and wine business (Cardinal Rule Wines)
The brothers’ parallel success in law-adjacent fields (Ronald in AI and Law, Warren in legal practice) suggests shared family values around intellectual achievement and professional excellence.
Uncle-Nephew Collaboration
In 2017, Ronald co-founded PeakMetrics with his nephew Nicholas Loui (Warren’s eldest son) and Bobby Lincoln:
- Ronald’s contribution: 40+ years of AI research expertise in computational reasoning, defeasible logic, and decision theory - established technical foundation
- Tenure: ~2.5 years (2017-~2019/2020), then returned to focus on academic work
- Nicholas’s contribution: Entrepreneurial leadership, business development, tech startup experience - continued as CEO
- Outcome: Nationally recognized AI platform combating misinformation and protecting democratic processes (continuing under Nicholas)
This represents a cross-generational Loui family business venture, with generation-1 (Ronald) and generation-2 (Nicholas) collaborating on a major technology company. This pattern of cross-generational collaboration echoes earlier family businesses like Steven Loui’s work at Pacific Marine Supply Co with his parents.
Extended Family Involvement
- Ryan Loui (Ronald’s nephew, Warren’s son): Worked at PeakMetrics as Sales Representative (2020-2021)
- Multiple Loui family members involved in or supporting the venture
Research Needed
- Exact birth date and place
- Marriage/family status (spouse, children)
- Current residence
- Relationship timeline with Warren (childhood, education paths)
- Any involvement with extended Loui family activities
- Complete publication list
- Other academic honors and awards
- When he transitioned between academic institutions
- Retirement status or current activity level