{"id":205,"date":"2018-08-12T01:54:59","date_gmt":"2018-08-12T01:54:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.hampshire.edu\/lmiller\/?p=205"},"modified":"2018-08-20T17:38:56","modified_gmt":"2018-08-20T17:38:56","slug":"when-lynn-retired-from-hampshire-college-he-wanted-to-be-roasted-by-his-colleagues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.hampshire.edu\/lmiller\/2018\/08\/12\/when-lynn-retired-from-hampshire-college-he-wanted-to-be-roasted-by-his-colleagues\/","title":{"rendered":"When Lynn retired from Hampshire College, he wanted to be \u201croasted\u201d by his colleagues…"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lynn’s Roast at Hampshire’s 45th Anniversary and Reunion Celebration<\/a>, June 6, 2015<\/p>\n

\"Jason
Dean Jason Tor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jason Tor: First, I\u2019d like to thank you all for coming! I\u2019m really happy we are able to be here to celebrate, I wasn\u2019t sure it was going to actually happen because when I first proposed this event to Lynn he warned me he wouldn\u2019t attend. A few weeks later he said he would come but he didn\u2019t want anything formal, no speeches. Then yesterday he informed me that he expects to be roasted!\u00a0 So it sounds like anything goes tonight!<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to say a few words and then I\u2019ll turn it over to anyone who would like to talk.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry Lynn, I\u2019m going to violate your request but I hope some your long-time friends and colleagues can honor this wish and really roast you good.<\/p>\n

When I was preparing for my job interview at Hampshire over 13 years ago, I spoke with a friend who was a Hampshire graduate and he warned me about this crotchety old professor named Lynn, he said that he was really mean.<\/p>\n

When I saw Lynn\u2019s name on my schedule for that day I was quite concerned.\u00a0 However, I\u2019ll never forget meeting him\u2026I showed up at his office and for the next 30 minutes I received the best lesson in teaching that I have ever had \u2013 at that point I had been in college for 10 years and was about to complete my doctorate but no one ever talked to me about teaching and, more importantly, learning, the way Lynn did it.<\/p>\n

Up until that point I was still rather ambivalent about Hampshire but after talking to Lynn I was hooked and knew I wanted to be a part of this great experiment.\u00a0 So Lynn \u2013 thank you!\u00a0 I might not be here without you and I\u2019m so proud to be a small part of your great legacy!<\/p>\n

\n
\"Professor
Professor Emeritus Ray Coppinger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ray Coppinger: I’ll keep this talk\u00a0very short, partly because there isn’t much to say about Lynn.<\/p>\n

I was the one who hired Lynn — and told the story of getting my Ph.D. at Amherst and having Ed Ledbetter on my committee. He brought me Lynn’s CV and said that we should hire him — I read the CV and said to Ed “Why would we want him?”\u00a0 And Ed said to me “Why would you want a Ph.D.?<\/p>\n

Then I told the story of trying to talk John Foster and Everett Hafner into hiring him because I wanted the Ph.D. They objected to him because he only wrote in Arabic.\u00a0 It wasn’t until Lorna pointed out that it wasn’t Arabic – rather English with the left hand. And Lynn was hired.<\/p>\n

It wasn’t until later that I realized that I had hired Hampshire’s first cynophobic Professor.\u00a0 Lynn was afraid of dogs.\u00a0 Being a good guy I tried to help cure this one of his many mental illnesses.\u00a0 I involved Lynn in research on dogs as a therapeutic strategy.\u00a0 And I was successful because Lynn now has the second largest number of dog publications of all the professors in the Five College system.<\/p>\n

As the research on “Man’s best friend” proceeded we all began to realize that it was Lynn who was “our best Friend”<\/p>\n

\n
\"Professor
Professor Emeritus Stan Warner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stan Warner: Where did Lynn Miller come from??<\/p>\n

Long, long ago, in the frontier town of McCook Nebraska, a baby was about to be born.<\/p>\n

The year was 1932, the year before the worst year of the Great Depression.<\/p>\n

But he didn\u2019t know that.<\/p>\n

He was going to be the youngest of five.<\/p>\n

But he didn\u2019t know that.<\/p>\n

He will struggle with a variant of dyslexia and develop a strategy for getting beyond it.<\/p>\n

But he didn\u2019t know that.<\/p>\n

On top of all that, he will be left-handed.<\/p>\n

But he didn\u2019t know that either.<\/p>\n

Three years later, the Republican River flooded; the family relocated to the second floor of a dairy in Greeley, Colorado.\u00a0 They decided to bring Lynn along.
\nIt was nothing but uphill for Lynn, and he became an uphill kind of guy.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all bootstraps, grit, determination, shed no tears and take no prisoners.<\/p>\n

Lynn climbs that hill and earns a Ph.D. in Biology from Stanford University.
\nAlong the way he meets the beautiful, cultured, and smart Jean Douglas.
\nYou know, it\u2019s too bad this roast isn\u2019t about Jean, instead of Lynn.
\nJean travels the world and does so many interesting things.
\nLynn\u2019s idea of a good time is smoking a cigar and then watching day lilies grow.
\nYou\u2019ve got to figure that over 60 years with Lynn will either snap the twig or temper the steel Jean is as ram-rod self-assured as Lynn is ram-rod straight.
\nTogether they raise two sons, and then \u2013 deciding they\u2019re not done parenting –\u00a0 raise two Cambodian boys.<\/p>\n

Jean tries to teach Lynn the 12 social graces, but he only learns one: Always serve your guests a high quality wine.<\/p>\n

In these early days of struggle, the Young Lynn is also striving to craft his exterior face.<\/p>\n

Lynn has discovered that for every helpful person, 3 others will waste your time.<\/p>\n

Lynn has learned that polite conversation is mostly a waste of everyone\u2019s time.
\nHe has little patience for foolery, blather, or falderal.
\nHe has become compulsive about teaching and insists that learners learn.
\nHe becomes comfortable with being outwardly cantankerous and irascible.
\nSomeone calls him a Curmudgeon and he rather likes it.
\nThe public face is in place, and Charles Dickens would approve.
\nI want to spend a few moments about this compulsion to teach.
\nWe know his work embraces Genetics, Molecular Biology, and Evolution.
\nBut that\u2019s the least of it.<\/p>\n

Lynn is a voracious reader.\u00a0 He reads cutting-edge, Big Science and Mathematics well beyond his own field.\u00a0 He\u2019s always handing me a book, and when I\u2019m ready, he remembers it!
\nIn his academic teaching, let me single out Gene Cloning.
\nGene Cloning is often regarded as the privileged preserve of elite scientists who grant access to select advanced graduate students.
\nLynn says, \u201cTo hell with that.\u00a0 Smart undergraduates new to science can enter this door, if they will take the patience to learn proper laboratory protocol.\u201d
\nAt the other end of the spectrum, Lynn would like to teach you how to READ.\u00a0 At the drop of a hat,
\nLynn will give you his one-page handout on being a better reader.
\nWhen Hampshire built the gymnasium, there was Lynn, teaching people how to swim.
\nIf you\u2019re struggling with dyslexia: Lynn has been there, done that.
\nBut little is known of Lynn\u2019s love of basketball.
\nEarly on I swore I wouldn\u2019t work at a place that didn\u2019t have a high quality 4-on-4 B-ball game (I share that with Barak Obama).
\nLynn was equally passionate.<\/p>\n

My preference was to team up with Lynn and add two students who knew how to pass.\u00a0 But in some conditions, where the overall chemistry looked wrong, I would say \u201cLet me guard Lynn \u2013 I know his moves \u2013 both of them.\u201d
\nLynn was the master of the low post.\u00a0 Back to the basket, he would signal for the ball. Ball in hand, he would take a half drop step to the Right (just so).\u00a0 Then he would rapidly pivot Left, driving two long strides to the basket for a left-handed lay-up. When I was guarding Lynn (with my back to the basket and behind Lynn), when Lynn made the half drop step Right it was my cue to move a step Left.\u00a0 When Lynn rapidly pivoted Left he would run into me and I would call a charging foul.\u00a0 He would say, \u201cYou\u2019re blocking me, Governor\u201d.\u00a0 (It\u2019s no great honor to be called Governor by Lynn.)\u00a0 And I would say I was there first and he would grudgingly concede the point.<\/p>\n

Why am I telling you this B-ball Bull Puppy?
\nBecause there were two other reasons I would guard Lynn.
\nThe first is that there would be a perfectly good 4-on-4 game underway and Lynn would discover a magic moment to teach.
\nTo this student: \u201chere\u2019s how you set a pick.\u201d
\nTo another student: \u201cHere\u2019s how to do the back door.\u201d
\nTo that student: \u201cYou\u2019ll never get a rebound if you don\u2019t carve out a space with your butt.\u201d\u00a0 I
\nI had to get the flow of the fame restored.
\nThe second reason I guarded Lynn was to stop any fight that might break out.
\nIf a student thought he might out-muscle Lynn, Lynn was instantly in his face, daring him to try.
\nIt was my job to step in and suggest to the student that he just didn\u2019t want to go there.<\/p>\n

So as we reach this point of final reflection and assessment, The Question for me is:<\/p>\n

Do we allow the title of Curmudgeon to be the defining essence of the man?
\nIt seems so appropriate:<\/p>\n

Certifiably cantankerous.\u00a0 Harumph!!
\nA frog in everyone\u2019s throat.\u00a0 Harumph!!
\nA fuming dismissor of fatuous fulminations.\u00a0 Harumph!!
\nNever played Frisbee.\u00a0 Forgivable.
\nA title he wears without shame.\u00a0 Of course!<\/p>\n

But we can\u2019t let him get away with it.
\nI once asked Lynn how to pick a good wine, and he said \u201cLook Governor, it\u2019s as easy as ABC \u2013 Always Buy Chardonnay ABC.\u201d
\n(Count on Lynn to yell out: \u201cAnything BUT Chardonnay!)
\nWell, the same thing applies here: ABC – Anything But Curmudgeon!
\nHe\u2019s a Teddy Bear !! A big-hearted, caring Teddy Bear.
\nNo one loves Hampshire more deeply than Lynn,
\nNo one aspires more for his students than Lynn,
\nFew are shyer than Lynn
\nAnd no one embraces the life of the mind more than Lynn
\nWe love you Lynn \u2013 whether you like it or not! (Stan Warner, June 6, 2015)<\/p>\n

\n

Professor Chris Jarvis:<\/p>\n

I had heard from the NS Dean\u00a0 (Alan Goodman) when I was hired that I would have to get to know and work with this guy who was a bit of a character, and the school curmudgeon\u2026his name was Lynn. I was a bit apprehensive and wanted to make a good impression so I thought I\u2019d ask him about a project I had been thinking about for a Div III project. It was fairly complex but could be done with the equipment we had at Hampshire. I went through many of the details expecting he would appreciate my clever approach. When I finished I waited nervously. He looked at me, paused and then said, \u201cJarvis, that is a terrible<\/em> <\/strong>project\u2026long pause\u2026for one student, and a brilliant project for another. Who did you have in mind? I didn\u2019t know, and learned right then that the student should be in the center of all our educational thoughts and plans. A most valuable lesson! He has of course taught me many since then, thank you, Lynn.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Lynn<\/p>\n

John Castorino: I\u2019ve been a visiting faculty here for a few years. I was just hired to replace Lynn\u2026 Obviously, there is no way that anyone can really replace Lynn. I just want to recall one of my first experiences with Lynn. I co-taught Human Gene Therapy. The second class of the semester\u2026 (The first class of the semester Lynn hands out a bunch of 1 page documents on how to read and whatnot)\u2026 The second class is: you have your assignment, you come into class with questions and he designs a lecture right there on the spot right there based on those questions. I had never seen anything like that. We get into class, there\u2019s no questions, Lynn goes, \u201cOK, next time!\u201d and walks out of the room.<\/p>\n

I said to myself \u201cHow in the hell am I going to teach at this place!?!?\u201d I don\u2019t know, but here we are four years later and I\u2019m replacing Lynn. When I got the news that I got the job, the first thing that I did was come in to school and told Lynn that I got the job. He said \u201cCongratulations. You\u2019ve got to learn to be a curmudgeon!\u201d<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s totally against my nature, but I\u2019m working on it. So I just wanted to display what I\u2019ve been working on: Aaarrrrrggggghhhhhh!<\/p>\n

\n
\"Noelle
Noelle Cocoros & Cate O\u2019Keefe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
\"Lynn
Lynn providing his own remarks, with that classic Lynn Miller style of sarcastic humor that we have all grown to love.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lynn Miller: Punchline: I am being retired by Hampshire College, but I am not retiring. My terminal contract allows me to give one seminar in the fall semester. Then I hope to continue to work with students on Div II and Div III committees and wherever the members of the School of Natural Science (faculty, staff, and students) can use me.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Ouer
Ouer kids & Rocky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

Letter from Dr. Njeri Ayoka Cruise:<\/p>\n

We can all remember that one teacher who stood out, transformed us, and changed the course of our destiny. For me, that person was Professor Lynn Miller. My journey with Lynn, was not that of the traditional world of scientific academia, but rather a rites of passage and thus, a pathway to enlightenment.<\/p>\n

When you step into the classroom with Lynn Miller, you learn that world of science is limitless. Lynn opened both my mind and my heart, to the beauty and the art of science. In the laboratory he inspired a curiosity and awakened our senses to the magic of science. Through his creative methods of teaching, we took what we learned in our books, and were able to translate this into living form.<\/p>\n

Lynn encouraged us to think critically, to question and challenge the boundaries of science and most importantly how to apply our knowledge and skills to change our communities and the world. The lessons that we learned from Lynn are not the type that you memorize and forget, but rather the kind that bring about true evolution and personal growth.<\/p>\n

A true educator, Lynn Miller prepared us to be the ones to go out there and make a difference. Long after the degree has been handed down, you carry with you the lessons that transcend the classroom. And as such, we continue the cycle of learning by passing down these traditions and his legacy to the next generation.<\/p>\n

With great respect and admiration, I would like to thank Lynn for all that he has given me and I wish him the best in his future endeavors.<\/p>\n

Sincerely,
\nDr. Njeri Ayoka Cruse<\/p>\n

\n

Letter from Jonathan Williams:<\/p>\n

Hello, Lynn!<\/p>\n

I want you to know how much your patience, kindness, intelligence, good humor and advice has meant to me over the years, especially after graduating from Hampshire. I can’t imagine Hampshire College without you, and I’m very sorry that future students won’t have the opportunity to have you as their teacher and advisor, because that is a great los for them and for the college! Quite simply, you have inspired me to read any scientific study I’m interested in and believe that I can understand what I am reading (eventually, at least!) and use that knowledge to create something useful (I found an ethical source of human embryonic stem cells that are successfully harvested using the same technique used in pre-implantation genetic diagnosis without damaging the developing embryos that they’ve been taken from and now using that knowledge to create the third draft of my stem cell debate-ending proposal, for example).<\/p>\n

You have inspired me to believe in myself and do things that I would have never thought possible in 2004, when I first came to Hampshire College and was your advisee. You also made Hampshire feel like home (whether it was our impromptu chats on the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the way you took it a little easier on me the semester after a really hard breakup without fully letting me off the hook for the work I had to do a better job of doing, the way you always said hello and meant it every time I stopped by your office for a meeting or a chat and the way you made sure I could study every subject I wanted to my heart’s content as part of my Div II) and allowed me to have the educational experience that I’d always dreamed of having at college. Without you, I would not have become the intelligent and resourceful person I am today, who never backs away from a challenge, no matter how difficult it is and how long it may take to overcome!<\/p>\n

I wish you all the best in your future endeavors and I hope that you’ll still be a part of Hampshire’s life, because you’re incredibly important part of it, just as you’ve been, and will always be, an incredibly important part of mine!<\/p>\n

Jonathan Williams<\/p>\n

\n

Email from Lissy Coley to Lynn Miller on April 22, 2015:<\/p>\n

Dear Lynn<\/p>\n

Congratulations on 45 remarkable years and especially thank you for having been such a profound influence on my life! Perhaps you don\u2019t remember me, as it was 1970 and I certainly was not exemplary, but you helped solidify my interest in science and research. Under your guidance I did a project on sewage and got caught up in the process and excitement of science. You were demanding and a bit scary, but you didn\u2019t ask for more than I could deliver, and you built my confidence and curiosity\u2026 two traits that I try to instill in my students. And you insisted on integrity and listening to the data\u2026also an invaluable lesson. As a teacher myself, I marvel at the amount of time you invested in me. You pushed and demanded excellence.\u00a0 I also learned that I wouldn\u2019t die if I pipetted sewage into my mouth, and that acidifying large quantities of sewage on the bench top was not a good idea (I did that at U mass and they sent everyone on the floor home because of the stink). And I learned how to walk with a dime clenched between my buttocks. And to enjoy sherry in your office. And about being an individual. And a great deal more.\u00a0 I so appreciate all of this.<\/p>\n

I have grown as a scientist and I am happy in my career. I went to grad school and it was a toss up between municipal sewage treatment and tropical ecology, but I finally picked the tropics. I have been doing research ever since on plant-herbivore interaction, mostly in South America but also SE Asia and Africa. I have definitely had my share of parasites, sewage born and otherwise. When I started at Hampshire I couldn\u2019t imagine myself as a scientist, and lack of confidence and high standards caused me to doubt whether I could ever make a useful research contribution. But I have done ok. And I like it. I also hope that I have been as good a mentor to my students as you were to me.<\/p>\n

I just contributed to your scholarship fund. I shouldn\u2019t have waited so long to thank you.<\/p>\n

Many grateful hugs,
\nLissy<\/p>\n

Phyllis Coley, Distinguished Professor
\nDepartment of Biology, University of Utah
\nSalt Lake City
\nwww.biology.utah.edu\/coley\/<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lynn’s Roast at Hampshire’s 45th Anniversary and Reunion Celebration, June 6, 2015 Jason Tor: First, I\u2019d like to thank you all for coming! I\u2019m really happy we are able to be here to celebrate, I wasn\u2019t sure it was going to actually happen because when I first proposed this event to Lynn he warned me … <\/p>\n

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