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As a lone seagull soared outside the Ryan Lounge windows, Cynthia Miles Gray sang "Panis Angelicus" before a silent crowd of over 400 at the January 7 memorial service for Massachusetts Higher Education Chancellor Stanley Z. Koplik. His death at age 55 brought together the Massachusetts higher education community to remember a leader known for his warm demeanor and steadfast commitment to upholding both access and quality in higher education.
All eight speakers offering eulogies&emdash;including Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci, former Commissioner of the Massachusetts Board of Education Robert Antonucci, and former Chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education James Carlin&emdash;noted the concern for all students that fueled Dr. Koplik's professional zeal. Former student member of the Board of Higher Education, Roger Limoges praised Dr. Koplik's "legacy of putting students first, of making us feel that we were the reason he went to work every day,"
Among the mourners were University of Massachusetts President William Bulger, Board of Trustees Chairman Robert Karam, Massachusetts House Speaker Thomas Finneran, Lieutenant Governor Jane Swift, and Boston University Chancellor John Silber.
Prior to his appointment as Chancellor in 1993, Dr. Koplik served as Executive Director of the Kansas Board of Regents and Missouri Commissioner of Higher Education. He received his bachelor's degree in American History from the State University of New York at New Paltz, his master's in Public Administration from New York University, and his doctorate in Higher Education from the University of Kansas.