She then went on to become the chair of the Michigan State University Department of Electrical Engineering.

Rigas also spent time on the National Academy of Sciences committee for scientific programs in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.

Rigas was also professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

She was locally and nationally involved with the Society of Women Engineers, winning the SWE Achievement Award in 1982.

[1][2] Washington state set up the Harriet B. Rigas Memorial Scholarship Fund which is awarded to Computer Engineering students.