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 “Marty 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.”
A Passion for the Environment
Brian Wygal, PhD, professor of 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 Citizens Advisory Committee of the United States Environmental Protection Agency Long Island Sound Study, National Estuary Program, which is dedicated to restoring and protecting Long Island Sound.
“Marty was integral to the environmental program at Adelphi since its beginning,” said Dr. Wygal. “He was passionate about the environment and, in particular, its protection. He frequently talked about the Environmental Protection Agency and was heavily involved in political activities around green energy, climate change and environmental protection.”
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’s 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, “He always believed that I would shine in life, and he was so proud of all of his students. I will really miss him.”
Katie Gifford ’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’s physics laboratory coordinator. “That year,” she reminisced, “I 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.”
He was also, according to Gifford, a multidisciplinary scholar who recognized and valued the work of all other scholars, regardless of their fields—and 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 “Marty was so excited that I would be attending his alma mater,” she said. “His 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.”
“It 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,” she said. “I’m going to miss Marty.”