2015 Board of Trustees Distinguished Teaching Award

You can find my address here

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Address to BOT members, Faculty, Staff and Administration

Eitel J.M. Lauría, PhD

Sept 9, 2015

Dear members of the Board of Trustees, President Murray, Vice President Wermuth, colleagues, friends and family:

Excuse me if I sound a little nervous. Those who know me well, also know that I don’t like the limelight. And this event is by definition the nicest way to put me on the spot. I am flattered to have been chosen for this award, and humbled by the list of recipients who have preceded me.

I’ve always regarded myself as fortunate, but not because I’ve seen Argentina win the Soccer World Cup twice (I am hoping for a third time if we can get the Germans off our back :).

I think I’m lucky because throughout my life I have been able to do pretty much what I wanted to do. Let me explain:

I got my Electrical Engineering degree from University of Buenos Aires, and right out of school I joined the local branch of Apple Computer, left Apple after several years to found a software consulting company with two business partners and, fast forward, 14 years later I was working countless hours a day, running a successful business and teaching part-time at the university.

It was 1999 and I got invited by the faculty at SUNY Albany to come to the US and join a doctoral program in Information Science. And I accepted, and my family backed me. My wife describes my decision as the product of a mid-life crisis with an academic bias: instead of buying a Porsche and running away with the archetypal bimbo, I chose to trade countries, pursue a PhD and go full-time into academia.

So in August 2000 we landed in JFK with two daughters of twelve and five, two Siamese cats, and fifteen pieces of luggage.

Fast forward again, I rushed through my PhD program, and in 2002 a classmate (Anne Matheus), who believed in me, invited me to apply to Marist for a teaching position (thank you Anne, I will never forget).

I got the position, I defended my dissertation, sold my business in Argentina, moved to a tenure-track position, got tenure, got promoted, got promoted again, and here I am, thirteen years later, receiving this award, and speaking before this prestigious audience.

It has been a good journey.

I acknowledge that I have put my share of work, but none of this would have been possible without a considerable amount of luck, and a wonderful support group.

So let me start by thanking my wife Corinne: without her love, her support and her patience, this adventure would not have been successful.

And to our two daughters, Florencia and Maia, who came to this country as two little kids and have thrived and continue to do so in a completely new environment, and in a different language.

To our families (parents and siblings) and our friends in Argentina who supported our project, although they probably understood that this was not a two year deal; that it could mean a lifetime of six thousand miles separation.

And to the friends that we made in the US, some of whom became just family.

I would like to thank my students for many interesting moments. I have found along the way great people, good friends and fantastic talent.

To the faculty, staff and administration at Marist College: thank you for contributing to a work environment where ideas can be discussed and issues can be addressed in a collegial and intelligent manner (at least most of the time :).

And to my colleagues and friends at the School of Computer Science & Mathematics, and especially to my department: folks, we get along, and we do productive work, and we do productive work, and we get along. This is, paraphrasing the credit card commercial, PRICELESS.

I would like to mention two individuals who have helped shape my professional career at Marist College:

Craig Fisher (Professor Emeritus), my good friend and mentor, who has repeatedly showed by example that, in his own words, ”teaching and research are two sides of the same coin”.

Roger Norton (Dean Norton), a savvy Dean and a natural leader who has guided me and supported my work all these years.

Finally, there is someone I would like to highlight, whose human qualities and bright mind provided me with a role model to embrace over the years. He lives in Buenos Aires, is ninety years old and is a Professor Emeritus of Engineering. His name is Eitel Lauría, and he is my father.

You know, my father and I carry the same name, which makes me version 2.0. The ongoing joke in my family has been whether I am an upgrade or a downgrade.

When I started writing this address I was not sure what I should say. Considering my background, I could talk about preparing our students for the data-driven society and culture in which we live. Or I could tell a few data science stories.

For example I could explain that, as someone said once, if you torture the data, it will confess to anything. Or contend that you have big data when it piles up so high that it disappears into the cloud.

But considering the challenges faced in current times by higher education, I decided to settle for some advice that my father gave me when I was growing up.

So here it goes:

“Learn history”, my dad would tell me. An admirer of San Martín and Lincoln, obsessed with World War Two, a big fan of Churchill and FDR, he would say “study history, be acquainted with the historical process. Through history you will learn about politics, geography, economics, religion, art, philosophy, sociology. The lack of historical knowledge has made humanity repeat the same mistakes over and over again, over time and across civilizations.”

“Learn to communicate in more than one language. Knowing other languages is a mind opener; it is a window to the world and its many cultures. If you know other languages you will not be afraid of the world, you will be part of it”.

“Speaking of languages, study mathematics. Math is the language of science. It will help you understand the laws governing the physical world. But it will also provide you with a rational framework, and will help you develop a taste for skeptical scrutiny, which, quoting Carl Sagan, is the means by which deep thoughts can be winnowed from deep nonsense”.

My father had a special chapter for computer science. He would tell me: “consider studying a programming language. By knowing how to program a computer, you will get access to an incredible problem solving tool. You will also join a community of very weird but very interesting people”.

Of course my father’s list is not exhaustive and does not apply to everyone. But there is one additional piece of advice though, that I think is universal, and that my dad delivered by example. It goes like this: as a teacher, one should be rigorous and strict, but at the same time open minded, fair, and gentle.

I know this first hand: after all, I was my father’s student, and I am his son.

At a time when both my dad’s memory and intellect are faltering, sharing his thoughts with you is a way of honoring my father.

I am sure that this award makes him very proud.

Thank you.

Muchas Gracias.