Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Robert L. Gluckstern, 84, a physicist and retired chancellor of the University of Maryland, died Dec. 17 of lymphoma at his home in Baltimore.
Dr. Gluckstern came to the University of Maryland from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1975.
In his seven years as chancellor, he worked to upgrade academic quality by raising entrance standards and also worked to improve salary equity for female faculty members. He also established merit scholarship programs, including the Francis Scott Key/Benjamin Banneker scholarship.
He resigned his administrative position in 1982 to return to his first love: full-time teaching and research as a physicist. He retired from teaching in 1997 but continued working as a senior research scientist until 2005. He also continued to participate in various professional activities and volunteered as a tutor for undergraduate physics students at the University of Maryland's Slawsky Clinic.
Dr. Gluckstern was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. As captain of his high school math team, he often could be found with pencil and paper working through math problems and theorems, one of which his father sent to Albert Einstein. The world-renowned physicist replied to young Mr. Gluckstern: "Although I have not seen it before, your nice theorema has probably not escaped the attention of others over history. That being said, it was a pleasure to have been made aware of it."
Dr. Gluckstern framed the letter.
After graduating from high school at age 16, he received his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the City College of New York in 1944. He served in the Navy for two years at Moffett Field in California and then received his doctorate in physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1948. He also completed postdoctoral assignments at the University of California at Berkeley and Cornell University.
He taught at Yale University for 11 years before being named professor and head of physics and astronomy at the University of Massachusetts in 1964. He became vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost in 1970.
He was a frequent consultant and collaborator at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory and elsewhere on research involving high-intensity particle beams. The University of Maryland awarded him its President's Medal in 1996 in recognition of his contributions to the intellectual and cultural life of the university. In 1999, he received the U.S. Particle Accelerator School Prize for contributions to the understanding of fundamental processes in high-intensity beams, including mechanisms for halo formation and collective instabilities.
A man of many interests, he played clarinet and saxophone, was an avid sports fan and loved crossword puzzles. He also enjoyed international travel with family and friends.
Dr. Gluckstern's marriage to Norma Block Packard ended in divorce.
Survivors include his wife of 23 years, Elizabeth M. Nuss of Baltimore; three children from his first marriage, Steven M. Gluckstern of New York, BJ Greenspan of Teaneck, N.J., and Amie Yabroff of the District; a brother; and six grandchildren.
-- Joe Holley