Marty Garrell, PhD, was a beloved professor and friend who shared his passion for physics, astronomy and environmental studies with students and colleagues.
The Adelphi community is mourning the recent loss of Marty Garrell, PhD, a longtime professor of physics whose courses in astronomy and environmental science reflected his lifelong interest in and love of nature and the environment.
Matthew Wright, PhD, associate professor and Department of Physics chair, recalled that 鈥淢arty gravitated to teaching astronomy and environmental courses at Adelphi. He was always excited to teach his First-Year Seminar on the history of environmentalism. He loved to take his students outside with binoculars to show them the night sky.鈥�
A Passion for the Environment
Brian Wygal, PhD, professor of聽 anthropology and director of environmental studies and environmental science, remembered Dr. Garrell as a committed environmentalist who, at the time of his death on October 2, was serving as the recording secretary of the which is dedicated to restoring and protecting Long Island Sound.
鈥淢arty was integral to the environmental program at Adelphi since its beginning,鈥� said Dr. Wygal. 鈥淗e was passionate about the environment and, in particular, its protection. He frequently talked about the and was heavily involved in political activities around green energy, climate change and environmental protection.鈥�
Dr. Garrell shared these passions with his students by regularly teaching environmental courses on green energy management and the physical problems of pollution.
A Valued Mentor and Friend
Zahin Ritee ’23 earned her physics degree at Adelphi and is now pursuing her second bachelor鈥檚 degree in mechanical engineering at Columbia University through the joint degree 3-2 program between that school and Adelphi. A former student of Dr. Garrell, she said, 鈥淗e always believed that I would shine in life, and he was so proud of all of his students. I will really miss him.鈥�
Katie Gifford 鈥�22, a second-year PhD student in physics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where Dr. Garrell had earned his doctorate, remembered him as her professor, mentor and friend.
After graduating, she worked with Dr. Garrell as Adelphi鈥檚 physics laboratory coordinator. 鈥淭hat year,鈥� she reminisced, 鈥淚 was lucky to share a wall with him, making my interactions with him more frequent. We chatted often about politics, the environment, physics education and Islanders hockey. His appreciation for knowledge and creativity outside of physics was always evident.鈥�
He was also, according to Gifford, a multidisciplinary scholar who recognized and valued the work of all other scholars, regardless of their fields鈥攁nd who dedicated himself to helping students develop the critical thinking skills necessary to solve everything from physics problems to environmental issues.
As Gifford made the move to graduate school, she noted that 鈥淢arty was so excited that I would be attending his alma mater,鈥� she said. 鈥淗is familiarity with my program and the area made it feel a little less scary to move from New York to the cornfields of Illinois. He was so thoughtful. He checked in with me a couple of times last year to see how I was adjusting, liking the program and living in the area, which I deeply appreciated.”
鈥淚t was clear he respected his students and their ideas, and I was lucky to see and experience that he did the same for his colleagues,鈥� she said. “I鈥檓 going to miss Marty.”