Posted on Aug 14, 2007

Public recognition came late to Ralph Alpher for his role as one of the pioneering architects of the Big Bang theory of the creation of the universe.

Alpher, a longtime Union College professor and General Electric researcher, died early Sunday in Austin, Texas, at age 86.

Alpher co-wrote the first mathematical model of the creation of the universe as a doctoral student at George Washington University in 1948. Alpher’s son, Victor, said the work was more remarkable because his father could not devote all his time to his studies.

“This was just a really remarkable man who did something truly fantastic when going to night school at George Washington University and working in the daytime for the federal government first and then Johns Hopkins University,” Victor Alpher said.

Ralph Alpher’s work was largely unrecognized, however, until a pair of radio astronomers at Bell Laboratories in New Jersey stumbled upon cosmic background radiation that proved the theory that the universe began with a cataclysmic “big bang.” The radio astronomers earned a Nobel Prize in 1978 for their discovery.

“Most people in his field believe he should have received the Nobel Prize along with Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson in 1978,” Victor Alpher said.
 
Ralph Alpher did subsequently receive awards for his work from the American Philosophical Society, the Franklin Institute and the Belgian Academy of Sciences. He was also honored last month by President Bush, who presented him with the National Medal of Science, the nation’s highest award in science, and Victor Alpher said an interview with his father from last year will be featured in a two-hour documentary on the Big Bang theory that is scheduled to air Sept. 4 on the History Channel.
 
Ralph Alpher worked as a physicist at GE’s Corporate Research and Development Center in Niskayuna from 1955 to 1987, then as a research professor of astronomy and physics at Union from 1987 to 2004. He also served as director of the Dudley Observatory in Schenectady from 1986 to 2000.
 
“We’re very saddened to learn of professor Alpher’s death,” said Union College spokesman Phil Wajda. “He was a remarkable man and did some incredible things that benefited not only the college community but all of mankind.”

Alpher was also active in the community, his son said, especially in his role as president of the board of directors of a fledgling public television station that signed on the air in 1962.
 
“He was the president of the board of WMHT when it was nothing,” Victor Alpher said. “He worked to bring WMHT up to the point of being able to produce shows and really be a force in the community.”

Victor Alpher maintains a Web site on his father’s legacy at www.ralphalpher.com and was updating the site Monday afternoon with news of his father’s death. He said the site had received more than 2,300 hits during the day, a testament to the interest in his father and the work he did.
 
“There was nobody that I have ever met in any academic field that would freely give of their time and energy to anyone more than my father,” Victor Alpher said. “He was an extremely classy scientist and academic all of his life. He would take the time to explain what he did at a level that anybody could understand and would take the time to do it whether you were the nurse who was taking care of him or a university president.

“[He was] a great father, a great scientist. He’s just truly remarkable.”

A memorial service will take place at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Levine Memorial Chapel, 649 Washington Ave., Albany, followed by interment in Agudat Achim Cemetery in Rotterdam.

Posted on Aug 13, 2007

Ralph Alpher, a distinguished research professor of physics and astronomy and a pioneering architect of the Big Bang model for the origin of the universe, died Sunday, Aug. 12, in Austin, Texas. He was 86.

Alpher taught at Union from 1986 to 2004 and was director of the Dudley Observatory. He also spent more than 30 years at the General Electric Research and Development Center in Niskayuna.

In 1948, as a young doctoral student, he wrote the first mathematical model for the creation of the universe and predicted the discovery of cosmic background radiation that proves the Big Bang theory.

Hundreds of people showed up at George Washington University for his dissertation defense, but the work of Alpher and his colleagues went largely unrecognized. In 1965, two radio astronomers in New Jersey who were tuning their equipment stumbled on proof of Alpher’s background radiation and were eventually awarded the Nobel Prize.

In 2004, when a student at Emory University doing research for "Background", her one-act play about Alpher’s life, asked if he would have done anything differently, Alpher replied, “I would have worked harder to get the credit I deserved.”

While the Nobel Prize eluded Alpher, he collected a host of other prestigious awards and honors. Earlier this year, President Bush announced that Alpher had been awarded the National Medal of Science, which is administered by the National Science Foundation and is the highest honor for science.

Alpher had been in failing health since falling and breaking his hip in February. When a nurse told him of the honor, he managed a smile, his son Victor recalled. Victor attended a ceremony at the White House July 27 to receive his father’s medal, for which the citation reads in part:

“For his unprecedented work in the areas of nucleosynthesis, for the prediction that universe expansion leaves behind background radiation, and for providing the model for the Big Bang theory.”

 “I was very sad he couldn’t receive it himself,” said Victor, a retired clinical neuropsychologist who lives in Austin. “This was his crowning achievement of a long and distinguished career.”

 After the ceremony, Victor met several Nobel laureates who praised his father’s work, including Robert Wilson, who along with Arno Penzias, confirmed Alpher’s predictions while at Bell Telephone Labs and was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 1978.

A memorial service for Alpher will be 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16, at Levine Memorial Chapel, 649 Washington Ave., Albany.

In addition to his son, Alpher is survived by a daughter, Harriet Lebetkin of Danbury, Conn. and two granddaughters. Alpher’s wife, Louise, died in 2004.

Memorial contributions can be made to the National Center for Science Literacy, Education, and Technology of the American Museum of Natural History (www.amnh.org), the National Science and Technology Medals Foundation (www.nationalmedals.org) or the American Institute of Physics Education Division to support science fellowships and grants at the undergraduate and graduate level (www.aip.org).

Posted on Aug 13, 2007

A useful life

John Blair Smith, Union’s first president, issued a charge to students under his care two centuries ago: “As you leave this place, do so ready to live a useful life.” I ended this year’s Commencement ceremony in June with President Smith’s charge because it links today’s graduates with our long and storied past and because his words are as meaningful today as they were then.

It has been my good fortune to have met many sons and daughters of Union College over the course of the past year. I’ve been struck and moved by the multiple ways in which graduates of the College honor Smith’s charge and indeed live useful lives. They have reminded me that there is no one path to a useful life. In fact, they remind me that we live multi-faceted lives – public and private – and we are challenged to find ways of making our lives useful across all facets and across all phases of our lives. John Blair Smith’s charge has a timeless quality about it: It extends to each generation of Union students and it extends well beyond Commencement to the whole of our lives. Smith asks us to strive to make a difference. It is the mark of Union graduates that they hold this expectation for themselves and for their lives.

Every issue of this magazine provides stories of useful lives, stories about graduates who have made a difference. This one is no exception. Take the “Women of ’72,” Union’s first women graduates. They’ve carried Union into the world. Take Phil DiSorbo ’71 as but another example. He has dedicated his life to the hospice movement – a movement that has brought support, care and dignity to thousands. Phil now takes his efforts to Africa where the need is great and the hours are undoubtedly long. President Smith would certainly nod approvingly if we could ask him: is this what you had in mind?

Commencement 2007 was a wonderful occasion. The weather cooperated. The speakers were inspired and inspiring. Richard Sorabji reminded us of the riches that come with the life of the mind. Charlie Gibson talked about the challenges our graduates will face and impressed everyone with the generous gift he made to Union – establishing the Burdett Gibson Scholarship in memory of his father who graduated from Union in 1923. Karyn Amira ’07 captured memories of the preceding four years and asked her classmates to be excellent to one another and do something positive for society and for others.

As I looked out on the faces of the members of the Class of 2007 from the porch of Schaffer Library, I was overwhelmed by a sense of both expectation and hope. Before me were future political leaders, teachers, researchers, doctors, lawyers, managers, executives, non-profit workers, bankers, builders and inventors. Before me were future parents, citizens and volunteers. I was fortunate enough to get to know many members of the Class of 2007 and I am impressed by their curiosity, commitments, passion, and character. They will represent Union College well. They give me confidence in our collective future.

Posted on Aug 8, 2007

Motorists have yelled at them, dogs have chased them and the heat has been less than kind. But in the end, members of Rolling for Autism said the experience is worth it.

The team of rollerbladers is on a 2,000-mile trek from Florida to Maine, picking up different skaters and sponsors along the way. They stopped in Davidsonville last week and plan to reach their destination next weekend.

The plan is to raise $500,000 in scholarship money for children with autism and to increase awareness of the disease. The money is raised through sponsorships and speaking engagements along the way.

Dan Tatar, a recent graduate of Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., founded Rolling for Autism earlier this year as a way to help thousands of autistic people, like his older brother, Ben.

A college hockey player, Mr. Tatar solicited help from his teammates. That effort spawned the multistate trip. Nearly 160 college students from throughout the country have helped.

On July 31, the group of six stopped overnight at the Davidsonville home of the Bowles family.

At several stops, they have events lined up with sponsors.

"This was an opportunity to spend the summer after graduation doing something different," Mr. Tatar said. "Part of the reason we're getting attention is we're doing something out of the ordinary. (The team) works hard every day, and that makes success that much more satisfying."

Mr. Tatar started in Jacksonville, Fla., on June 26 with Jason Ortolano, Carson Strang and Sean Streich. About a week ago, they picked up Elaine Lamerinos and Victoria Kohan in Woodbridge, Va. They'll keep picking up students until they have about 60 skaters, Mr. Tatar said.

The plan is to roll about 50 miles a day, which usually takes the skaters about five hours. A van accompanies the team, allowing some people to ride in the van while others skate, depending on how tired everyone is.

AAA, one of the sponsors, mapped out the route. They've also managed to land sponsors for hotel rooms, though they often stop at the homes of friends.

Already the trip has posed a few challenges. The terrain in Raleigh, N.C., was a bit hilly, and the occasional aggressive dog makes things interesting.

Motorists have honked their horns or yelled at the members because they're in the way. And on the way into Davidsonville from Washington, Mr. Tatar was almost hit by a car.

"We're sure we'll remember this for the rest of our lives," said Mr. Streich, 25. "(When we visit different cities) you can see all the love and support the parents have for their kids. They're looking to find the best life for their kids … and that's why we're doing what we're doing."

Liza Bowles learned about the effort through her son, Sam, who also plays hockey at Union College. She agreed to offer their home as a pit stop. The rollerbladers were greeted with barbecue and swam in the family pool.

"I think it's great, the fact that these kids are doing it themselves," Mrs. Bowles said. "There's so much effort to do it through the heat. I'd do anything I could to help out. This is a perfect learning experience."

The group has about a dozen more stops before reaching the destination of Kittery, Maine, on Aug. 19. About 700 people are expected to greet them at the finish line.

"We've been on the road for five weeks and we're just happy to see new faces," Mr. Ortolano said. "Just to see the smiles on the faces of the kids when we get to town, that gets me through the days on the road."

For more about the trip, visit www.rollingforautism.com.

Posted on Aug 8, 2007

KITTERY, Maine — A group of college students will roll into town next week after covering more than 2,000 miles across 14 states — on Rollerblades — in an effort to raise money for autism research.

The trip started as an idea among a small group of college students from Union College in New York and quickly grew to include more than 50 people from all over the Northeast.

Union College senior Dan Tatar, whose brother, Ben, has autism, spearheaded the trip that started in June.

The crew started training in April and has been traveling about 40 miles a day on inline skates. It's made stops in Savannah and Charleston, S.C.; Washington, D.C.; New York; and Boston.

And as the skaters cross the finish line at the Kittery Trading Post on Sunday, Aug. 19, they kick off a daylong event celebrating their trip.

"I'm always impressed to see young people giving so generously of their time and energy to help others," said Kevin Adams, president and chief executive officer of Kittery Trading Post. "Kittery Trading Post is pleased to provide a finish line for Rolling for Autism's 2,000-mile effort."

Tatar and the rest of the Rolling for Autism crew set a goal of raising $500,000 to benefit individuals affected by autism and to increase autism awareness among young adults across the country.

Sunday's event celebrating the trip's completion kicks off at 9 a.m. with activities for kids and guest speeches from local autism experts, including representatives from The Birchtree Center of Portsmouth.

Autism is the third most common developmental disorder in the United States, and by the next decade, it could affect 4 million Americans, according to a Rolling for Autism press release.

ON THE NET

For details on Rolling For Autism, e-mail team@rollingforautism.com or visit www.rollingforautism.com.