|
Ralph J. Schwarz, whose 60-plus year affiliation with Columbia University included nearly two decades as vice dean of what is now The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), died on Jan. 2, at the age of 83. His lengthy and his extremely productive tenure was marked by curricular innovations, including the beginnings of the Columbia Video Network (CVN) and numerous awards for his lively teaching and innovative thinking.
"Ralph Schwarz was an important force in the development of Columbia engineering," said SEAS Dean Zvi Galil. "His tenure as vice dean for almost 20 years and his three periods of service as acting dean provided the School with a steady, guiding hand through many decades of progress and achievement. One of Ralph's most prescient actions was the creation of a distance learning program for IBM that has evolved into CVN."
Except for brief periods, Schwarz spent his entire engineering career at Columbia. He was visiting associate professor of engineering at UCLA in the spring of 1956 and consulted for Ramo-Wooldridge Corp. in Los Angeles from 1955 to 1956.
His teaching career at Columbia began in 1943 as an instructor in electrical engineering. After receiving his Ph.D., he was appointed an assistant professor in 1949, associate professor with tenure in 1953 and professor of electrical engineering in 1958. His degrees are all in Electrical Engineering from Columbia: a BS in 1943, an MS in 1944, and a Ph.D. in 1949.
Schwarz taught numerous subjects including electronics, system theory, communications theory and applied mathematics. His research interests dealt with system theory, the filtering and prediction of signals and pattern recognition.
In 1962, Schwarz was elected a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for his contributions to electrical engineering education and system theory. In 1965, he received the Great Teacher Award from the Society of Columbia Graduates. The citation read in part: "Your wise counsel, your infinite patience, your ability to strike the spark that lights the flame of the learner's lamp, have earned the deep regard of students and the admiration of colleagues."
After becoming associate dean in 1972, he became acting dean in July 1975 and vice dean in July 1976. At that time, he also was appointed the Thayer Lindsley Professor of Electrical Engineering.
Schwarz received the Lion Award of the Columbia Engineering School Alumni Association in 1981 and was given the IEEE Centennial Medal in 1984.
Schwarz served again as acting dean from 1980 to 1981, and from 1990 to 1991. He retired in 1992, and was appointed Vice Dean Emeritus and the Thayer Lindsley Emeritus Professor of Electrical Engineering. Following his retirement, he was a consultant for the Office of the Dean until 1995.
Named Forbes Magazine's "Best of the Web" for distance learning for three consecutive years, CVN has emerged as the leading distance learning provider in graduate engineering. Created in 1986, CVN now offers graduate degrees and certificates from all nine engineering departments serving more than 100 corporate clients.
"CVN wouldn't exist without Ralph Schwarz's driving force to instill a distance learning program at our school," said CVN Executive Director Grace Chung. "We are thriving today because of his innovative thinking."
Schwarz is survived by his wife of 54 years, Irene Lassally Schwarz; a son, Ronald P. Schwarz, M.D., and his wife, Mina Levin, M.D.; a daughter, Sylvia A. Schwarz, Esq. LW'79, and her husband Peter L. Winik, and three grandchildren, Jonathan Schwarz and Allison and Daniel Winik.
A funeral service was held Sunday, Jan. 8, at Temple Israel of New Rochelle, N.Y.
|
