Dr. Marilynn Smiley Some people really know how to make the most of their retirements. Marilynn Smiley is one of those people. When she retired in 2014 after 53 years in the Music Department, she was finally able to spend more time on her research projects, community service and traveling. As president of the Oswego
Dr. Bruce E. Altschuler An initial failed attempt at college as an engineering student and a tour of duty with the U.S. Army in Vietnam helped Dr. Bruce Altschuler identify his true passions and build a four-decade career as an educator and expert on politics and the American presidency. “When I came back from Vietnam,
Little did John Mincher know as a curious 15-year-old that when he poked his head into the open door of the Youngstown (Ohio) Playhouse, he would be entering a career that continues to pique his interest 65 years later. “They were working on the sets for The Glass Menagerie,” Mincher recalled. “I walked into the
On the SUNY Oswego campus, it wasn’t unusual to see Professor Emeritus of Physics Paul Liebenauer heading off to a course in French. For years, Liebenauer studied the language so that he and his wife, Margreta, could travel, which they did extensively throughout France and other European countries. “The [French] department was kind enough to
Ken Hyde was a 12-year-old boy exploring his small hometown of McKees Rock, Pa., when he received his first chemistry set from his grandma. He enjoyed mixing the chemicals and observing the changes that happened. “My interest in chemistry just got bigger and bigger and bigger,” said Hyde, who earned a bachelor’s in chemistry from
Professor emeritus Richard Zakin’s home in Oswego reflects a life immersed in art. Walls and shelves display artwork both collected and made; Zakin’s own hand-built clay pieces capture his formidable skill at a variety of ceramic techniques. “I always liked art that forced me to use my brain,” Zakin said, as he showed how adding
For Betsy Waterman, retirement has been a time to remain in tune with lifelong passions—and discover new ones. “One of the most exciting things I have been doing since I retired is playing with a band that performs Celtic music,” said Waterman from her Sandy Creek (N.Y.) home. “Music has been a part of my
Brian Betz, Ph.D., professor emeritus of communication studies, started his storied career as a clergyman. Born Richard Ferdinand Betz, he took the name Brian when he became a monk. He entered the seminary when he was 14 years old to become a priest, and later a monk, where he started on his path to education,
John Weeks cupped his hands into a nest as he recalled the moment as a young child when he saw four bright blue robin eggs and learned that baby birds were growing inside. At 90, he traced a lifetime of loving, teaching and preserving nature back to that defining moment on his brother’s Albion, N.Y.,
The next time you hear the ceremonial trumpets at Torchlight or Commencement, you can thank Hugh Burritt. Burritt, the former chair of the Music Department, is responsible for bringing music to SUNY Oswego ceremonies. The herald trumpets that play during public ceremonies are the original ones he bought 40 years ago. Initially, the trumpets were