Geselbracht Honor Goes to Prof. Glasfeld
Created with a $3 million gift by an anonymous donor, the chair memorializes an exceptional professor.
Prof. Arthur Glasfeld has been named the inaugural holder of the Margret Geselbracht Chair of Chemistry.
Created with a $3 million gift by an anonymous donor, the chair memorializes the career of Prof. Maggie Geselbracht, who passed away in 2014 after a hard-fought struggle against lymphoma. An inspiring teacher, committed mentor, and exceptional researcher, Prof. Geselbracht joined the chemistry department in 1993 as the only female chemist, and ultimately became the first woman to be tenured in the department. She touched many students’ lives through her courses and her research. She took her position as a role model seriously, and it is no accident that when she died, the department had graduated two successive classes that were majority women.
“Maggie Geselbracht was the ultimate Reed professor,” says Glasfeld. “She was active nationally and locally in teaching and scholarship, absolutely committed to her students and their careers, and fully engaged in the college’s future. Holding a chair in Maggie’s name is an incredible honor and great reminder of all she meant to me and to the college as an inspirational colleague and friend. The fact that the position will allow increased staffing and greater team teaching in our first-year course fulfills one of Maggie’s highest priorities. This is a terrific gift all the way around.”
Glasfeld earned his PhD from Harvard before coming to Reed in 1989. His expertise lies in structural biochemistry and he has advised 117 senior theses (and counting!)
The anonymous gift will also add a new professor to the chemistry department.
Maggie’s family has launched the Prof. Maggie Geselbracht Women in Chemistry Fund to reflect her passion of providing support to female chemists at Reed. Make a gift to the fund.