Community Mourns the Passing of A. P. "Rusty" Simonds

The university community was saddened to learn that political science professor A. P. "Rusty" Simonds died suddenly on October 20.

"The incredible richness and complex diversity of students in the classroom is fabulous," said Simonds of his teaching experiences at UMass Boston during a May 2002 interview for UMass Boston, the university's alumni magazine.

Simonds's infectious enthusiasm for his teaching earned him the Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award twice in his 34-year career at the university. He was the only faculty member to be honored with the award more than once.

"He is rigorous, yet caring and respectful of students, to whom he is endlessly generous with his time," one of his peers wrote of Simonds. "His passion for learning and his high standards inspire his students to achieve at levels they once would have thought impossible for themselves."

Simonds was especially passionate about this process: "I like being a spectator in my own classroom and seeing my students discover astounding things"--not the least of which is their own potential. "Students here are much better than they know they are," he explained. "They have a maturity, complexity, and interest unparalleled."

Simonds had taught political science at UMass Boston since 1969. Throughout his tenure, his classes, which focused on the sociology of knowledge and the production of culture, had always generated fresh and inventive thinking. Not only did he find this invigorating, but he noted that he had seen new levels of intellectual engagement and seriousness in each new freshman class, and in the same students as juniors or seniors. "I see them two years later and I'm amazed at how intellectually adept they've become," he said proudly.

He was a generous and inspiring presence--"the best of the best," a colleague called him, and his students agreed. "I cannot think of another class I took as an undergraduate from which I took away so much" was a typical comment. Simonds also devoted himself to innovative uses of technology in teaching and to administrative duties, serving three times as department chair. "He gave us his life," said Chancellor Gora.

A memorial tribute is planned for February 12 (2:30 p.m., McCormack Hall, Ryan Lounge; for details, write clare.crawford@umb.edu or call 7-6920). A scholarship fund is also planned. Readers who wish to contribute may send a check to the University Advancement Office; please make the check payable to UMass Boston and note on it that the gift is to support the Rusty Simonds scholarship.

(Photo by Richard Howard)

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