Distinguished
professor remembered
By Porschia Baker
Summer On-line Forty-Niner
In
the 1970s Glenn M. Nagel, the dean of the
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics,
and his wife, Greta Nagel, a professor in
the department of education went to Germany
for pleasure. Recently they returned to
Germany and although there was pleasure
in retracing some of the footprints they
had set before, more importantly they were
there to obtain a cure for Glenn Nagel’s
colon cancer that is not readily available
in the United States.
Nagel was born April 16, 1944 in Blue Island,
Ill, and died May 21, 2003, losing his battle
with cancer, at the age of 59 in his home
in Fullerton. Despite that fact that his
life was short, his achievements are long-lasting.
The lessons that others learned from him
and his contributions will last forever.
In 1962, Nagel began his first year of college
at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill. Knox
College is where he met his future wife,
Greta, at an event called the Pumphandle.
The Pumphandle is an event held on the first
day of college, in which all students gather
in the gym and shake hands, hence the name
Pumphandle. At the time there were just
2,000 students. As Greta Nagel tersely put
her first impression of him, “I thought
he was very good looking and very sweet.”
After graduating from Knox College in 1966
with his B.A. in Chemistry, Nagel went to
the University of Illinois Medical Center
in Chicago, Ill. and graduated in 1971 with
his Ph.D in Biochemistry. Thereafter he
did his postdoctoral work at UC Berkeley.
While at Berkeley, Nagel encountered Howard
K. Schachman, a professor of molecular and
cell biology. It was not by chance that
Nagel began his laboratory research under
Schachman. Schachman’s former student Sue
Hanlon, who is a professor in the department
of biological chemistry at the University
of Illinois Medical Center where Nagel earned
his Ph.D., recommended Nagel to Schachman
because Nagel was once Hanlon’s Ph.D. student.
Schachman said, “her recommendation was
superlative and [Nagel] was everything she
said he would be, bright, hardworking, creative,
pleasant, and productive. He was a gem of
a postdoctoral fellow.” When Nagel was ready
to further his career Schachman recommended
him to a plethora of schools because as
Schachman put it, “[Nagel was] one who would
be a great teacher, an excellent productive
scientist, and a wonderful colleague for
any academic department.”
After UC Berkeley, Nagel moved on to CSU
Fullerton where he became a faculty member
of the department of chemistry and biochemistry
and worked his way up the academic ladder,
from 1972-1996, beginning with assistant
to associate professor and onto professor
of biochemistry. He also served as chairman
of the department of chemistry and biochemistry
from 1990-1995. In addition in 1995 he was
appointed associate dean of the College
of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and
was the director of the Institute for Molecular
Biology and Nutrition.
Patrick Wegner, a professor of chemistry
at CSU Fullerton, first met Nagel, when
Nagel was applying for a job at CSU Fullerton
in 1972 “I was impressed with his collegiality
and how he was responsive to others ideas
and comments and [how he] added his own
ideas and comments to other’s ideas and
comments.” Wegner said
Nagel was not only praised by his colleagues
but, the entire CSU Fullerton also honored
him. In 1984, he was awarded the Exceptionally
Meritorious Performance and in 1987 he was
awarded the Outstanding Professor Award,
which is the principal award at CSU Fullerton
that acknowledges prominent faculty performance.
In addition, he received the Dean’s Award
in 1993 and in 1996 he received the Andreoli
Award for his contributions to biotechnology
in the California State University system.
On August 1, 1996 Nagel was appointed to
the position of dean of the College of Natural
Sciences and Mathematics. While serving
as dean, Nagel was a strong advocated for
undergraduate research. He was also interested
increasing the quantity and quality of the
students who wanted to become math and science
teachers. CSULB President Robert Maxson
said, “His commitment to education stretched
from the youngest elementary school child
to the students pursuing advanced degrees
in the science and medicine. He knew of
the remarkable role of science and mathematics
in our world.”
Greta Nagel said, “he had a lot of goals
[some were to] make further improvements
and to continue to get funding for his college.
He really loved the College of Natural Sciences
and Mathematics.”
Although there are a great number of students
in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics,
no student was ever simply a number to Nagel.
“He communicated, listened, and enjoyed
counseling students.” said Henry Fung,,
associate dean for the Instructional Programs
in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
When Greta. Nagel was asked what were some
of her husband’s inspirations, she said,
“his younger experiences.” In addition Mrs.
Nagel said, “He loved college, but he was
the kind of student that had to work at
it because in chemistry he never ever read
an assignment once, it was always two and
three times.”
Nagel was not just the dean of the College
of Natural Sciences and Mathematics; he
was a father, husband, brother, son and
friend. Greta Nagel said “he loved fishing
and he loved the outdoors.” He liked funny
things, such as Garrison Keillor’s radio
programs. More importantly Nagel shared
these things with his family and friends.
Jean Bright, Nagel’s Secretary, seems to
have spoken for everyone when she simply
said, “He was really a good man.”
Nagel is survived by his wife Greta and
their children Christina and Paul. In addition,
instead of flowers the family would prefer
that donations be made to the Glenn Nagel
Undergraduate Research Fund at CSULB, CSU
Fullerton, or Knox College, or the American
Cancer Society in his name: Glenn Marshall
Nagel.
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