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	Vol.7, No 49, November 23, 1999
	Legacy lecturer speaks of research By Jose Corado Daily Forty-Niner His contributions to Cal State Long Beach earned astronomy and physics professor Sema'an Salem the title of 19th Legacy Lecturer. Salem recollected his experiences at CSULB and the contributions he has made in a speech to about 80 people gathered Thursday at the Center for Faculty Development.  "It means a great deal to me," he said. "It means that people are recognizing my achievements on this campus." The Legacy Lecture program was established in fall 1991 to, each semester, give select CSULB professors an opportunity to address the campus as if it were their last lecture.  An advisory committee formed by representatives from seven academic colleges is in charge of collecting and reviewing the nominations made by the colleges, said Gerard Hanley, director of the Center for Faculty Development. "This is considered an honor for faculty," Salem said. "It is recognition that we have performed well." Salem said he was expecting his nomination because he has a good record in this university, but said he felt nonetheless honored when he received the letter from Hanley. "My biggest contribution here is probably the research that I did," said Salem, who has published about 100 scientific papers in "A Physical Review," a journal for research in the physical sciences. Other contributions Salem has made include the addition of seven tables to "The Handbook of Chemistry and Physics," and he has also written a book titled "Science in the Medieval World." Salem came to campus in 1961 and started teaching in the math department due to the shortage of available courses in the physics department, Salem said. Within a year, he began to teach physics and soon after published the first research paper from then Long Beach State College, Salem said. "I began to do the thing I always wanted to do," he said. "There is a sort of unique enjoyment in doing research not found in any other activity." In 1979, Salem was elected chairman of the department of physics and astronomy and served in this position for nine years.  Salem also established the Department Advisory Council, which advises and provides funds and equipment for the department. Councilmembers are mostly scientists and administrators from local industries, he said. Salem acknowledged former graduate student Robert Tsutui as one of the reasons he looked forward to giving the speech.  Tsutui worked under Salem's supervision during his graduate work in the 1960s. He put together the computer program that put Apollo 11 on the moon, he said.  He retired in May 1998 and is currently teaching under the Faculty Early Retirement Program, teaching one class in modern physics. He is writing a book due out early next year called "The Near East: The Cradle of Western Civilization." "In many aspects, CSULB is considerably better than when I first joined its faculty," Salem said. "I hope the newcomers of today can repeat this same statement when they give their legacy lectures."		Urgent signals may be blocked   Road construction near CSULB creates hassels   Legacy lecturer speaks of research   African, Cuban cultural history depicted in film   Engineering, business colleges get grant for labs Gaming debts erased   Apathy creates crime at CSULB Snoop stop Pepperdine ekes out hoops opener   LBSU dumps San Diego   Pepperdine nets 49ers   49ers upend Eastern foe Fall 99 ISSUES DAILY 49ER HOMEPAGE
Forty-Niner Publications, Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach ©1999 All rights reserved.