Race to the finish
When Professor Romer arrived at Amherst, he did not intend to stay for a long time. The year was 1955. Attracted by the the new curriculum, which mandated that students take physics and calculus, Romer felt that the College was "doing something educationally exciting. It was innovative."
"[Amherst] is a nice place to live, and it really does combine some of the best features of teaching," said Romer. "Research is taken seriously here."
A graduate of Amherst, Romer went on to earn his Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University before returning here to teach.
Romer's early work at the College involved cryogenics.
"And then I went to save the world from racism," said Romer of his decision to depart from Amherst in the late 1960s. In 1969, Romer got an appointment from "a very small black college down South."
According to Romer, the spring of 1970 was a very turbulent time. "We had student protests. We had troops on campus," he said. "Rather miraculously, no one got killed. There was no way I could have stayed there."
Romer returned to Amherst to continue teaching in the physics department. Soon thereafter, he became involved in writing and found himself contributing to the American Journal of Physics. In 1987, the editorship of the Journal opened up and Romer's family said, "'You'd be good at that,'" according to Romer.
"Turns out, they were right. I'm not modest about that," added Romer, who now boasts that the American Journal of Physics has the world's largest circulation for a publication of its kind.
"Bob's integrity and fairness have proved invaluable to the Journal. It has become a better journal under his guidance," said Professor of Physics Larry Hunter. "I believe that his integrity, clarity of thought and love of the subject are exceptional."
As for his experience in the classroom, Romer spoke of the feeling he gets when a certain class of students comes together with a passion for physics. "Every so often, you have a group of physics majors who really hit it. There's a chemistry within a group which generally translates into a chemistry with the professors," said Romer.
Romer's contributions to Amherst's academic life have earned him the respect of many students and professors alike. "Generations of Amherst students have been grateful for his instruction in the classroom, and the College itself has profited enormously from his long and dedicated service outside the classroom," said Professor of Physics Kannan Jagannathan, who also serves as Assistant Editor of the Journal.
"He offered us a glimpse at the world through a physicist's eyes and made us want to see the world ourselves as students of physics," said Deborah Lee '89. "He shared with us his passion for the simplicity, beauty, complexity, and difficulties of viewing the world within the context of physics."
When Romer became editor of the Journal, he started teaching half-time. In 1991, he became eligible for phased retirement. Whereas most professors move to half-time teaching when they come up for phased retirement, Romer stopped teaching altogether and focused his efforts entirely on the Journal.
"With the Journal, I have to know about everything," said Romer about the opportunity to edit. "Sometimes I think I'm a renaissance person."
Romer's efforts have even influenced the careers of fellow faculty members. "When I was offered a faculty position at the University of Michigan, Bob countered the offer by saying he would critically read all of my future manuscripts and proposals before submission," said Hunter. "I decided to stay and Bob has kept his end of the bargain."
"He loaned me his boots when I interviewed at Amherst so that I could hike down the abandoned railroad tracks (now the bike trail)," said Hunter of his first encounter with Romer. "This was a factor in my decision to come to Amherst."
In retirement, Romer plans on staying in Amherst and continuing his work in physics. "Who knows, Bob may even return to physics research at quite reasonable rates of pay," joked Jagannathan.
"I'm studying to be a guide in Historic Deerfield," said Romer. "I've always been interested in local history."
"Running has been a big part of my life," he added. Romer began running in races in 1987 and his first two marathons-in Boston and Albany-were in 1988. His last marathon, the 2000 New York Marathon, brought his count up to 24.
In an article Romer wrote about his experience running, he talked about the arthroscopic knee surgery he endured in 1995. "[The doctor] urged me to buy a bike (which I did but haven't used much) and to learn how to swim (which I already knew how to do but find intensely boring). Shows how much he knows about runners!" Romer wrote. "There are two morals to this story. First, try the NYC Marathon; it's a wonderful experience and a great way to see the city. Second, when doctors tell you to quit running, don't be in a hurry to accept their advice."
"I have enjoyed cross-country skiing with him. I have also really enjoyed his homemade strawberry ice cream," said Hunter. "Bob has excellent taste in physics. He appreciates clarity of thought and expression. He is a very principled man and is painstakingly just in his dealings with people."
An emotional response
If you are wondering what rats are thinking when they run into their age-old nemesis-the cat-then look no further than Professor Sorenson. Sorenson specializes in the neural mechanisms of behavior. More specifically, he has researched emotional responses, especially fear.
"The most interesting work in the last decade or so has been tracing a pathway in the brain of rats that is responsible for forming fear reactions," said Sorenson, who added that an understanding of fear pathways in animals will help in the understanding of phobias.
Sorenson lists as his major accomplishments the development of the neuroscience program at Amherst and the creation of Psychology 12: "Psychology as a Natural Science."
"I've enjoyed all of the classes I've taught," said Sorenson, who mentioned a freshman seminar that he found especially valuable. "["Mind and Brain"] gave me an opportunity to work closely with other faculty. It's quite fascinating to construct a syllabus and teach a course with other faculty."
Neal R. Swerdlow '81E, who is now a professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, attested to Sorenson's impact on his students' academic growth. "The key to [Sorenson's] teaching was something I'd call 'compassionate no-ism,'" he said. "College students generate ideas long before they develop the tools of critical assessment-they can reach the idea fast pedal before they can find the steering wheel. Al's secret was to help students learn to critically examine their own ideas-to view them in an often brutally objective, logical and systemic fashion-without smashing the enthusiasm and energy that fuels these new ideas, or losing sight of the beauty and fun of scientific creativity."
The neuroscience program, created by a grant from the Sloan Foundation, was the first undergraduate program in the country and, since its creation, it has seen over 300 graduates.
"I've recently reviewed the career trajectories of 51 out of 60 of Al's former thesis students: 42 remained in science, medicine or teaching (or some combination), with a total of 41 doctoral degrees," said Swerdlow. "Many of his students are leaders in neuroscience research, with faculty positions at [the National Institute of Health] and many of the neuroscience 'powerhouse' university programs."
When Sorenson arrived at the College in 1972, the psychology department had undergone an unusual number of retirements and departures, leaving the faculty size at just two professors. With the hiring of Sorenson and another professor, followed by a third hire one year later, the faculty size leveled at five. Since then, Sorenson is proud to report that the faculty has grown to seven members.
In retirement, Sorenson will be moving to Florida and spending his time kayaking, golfing, fishing, gardening and biking.
"I'd like to do a lot of reading of non-technical material. I haven't had the time to read novels," said Sorenson. "I'll probably do some writing. I'm exploring the possibility of writing a book evaluating the war on drugs-I don't think it was successful-and evaluating some alternatives."
Sorenson said that he would like to look for treatment approaches to drug addiction rather than sending people through the legal system.
"I'll have extremely fond memories of Amherst because of the very talented colleagues I've had and because of the terrific students I've had," Sorenson said. "I can't imagine being at any place that would have been a more perfect fit than Amherst."
Sorenson has given back at least as much his talented colleagues. "I've been told that you learn more in your first few years teaching than in your entire education up to that point," said Assistant Professor of Psychology Sarah Turgeon. "I definitely feel this is true, and there is no question that a lot of what I've learned during this time, about both science and teaching, I've learned from Al."
"Amherst has a long, rich tradition of excellent educators-professors who found a way to motivate and inspire young minds to develop into creative but critical thinkers," said Swerdlow. "Many of us experienced this tradition through Al Sorenson's mentorship, and we are all the better for it."
Post-game show
Professor Mehr arrived at the College in the fall of 1966 to help out with the football team. Since then, he has coached seven sports, started the women's golf team, run the outing club, and taught golf and outdoor education classes.
"Every year's been special," said Mehr. "I've been very fortunate to meet a new group of men and women who have enriched my life."
"I think he's the best," said Nicole Danforth '88, a golfer who has twice qualified for the U.S. Open and had Mehr caddy for her. "I found his fund of information about the golf swing unmatchable. He was always very encouraging and very positive and he challenged us."
Before arriving at Amherst, Mehr taught and coached high school in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. and spent four years working at Boston College. He played football during his college years at Holy Cross and grew up playing golf in his home state of Wisconsin.
Mehr will stay in Amherst after retirement-at least until the winter.
"I'm going to find out who I really am. I've been at this for almost 50 years now," said Mehr.