Alan Lazarus

Alan Jay Lazarus Senior Research Scientist at MIT, Dr. Alan Lazarus died peacefully in his home in Lexington on March 13, 2014 at the age of 82. Alan was born in San Francisco on October 24, 1931 to Lawrence H. Lazarus and Rose Kauffman Lazarus. His early education in California schools and a year at Phillips Andover Academy (1949), developed in him a love for learning, especially science. He earned degrees at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (S. B. 1953, in Physics), and Stanford University (Ph. D. 1958 in High Energy Physics). In 1959 he began a career of over 50 years at MIT where he joined pioneers in space research to study space physics, particularly focusing on space plasma and the solar wind. He mentored many graduate students and senior thesis students, and was a beloved colleague both to his MIT compatriots and to the wider space physics community, nationally and internationally. He helped develop instruments for over 20 spacecraft missions, including one on board the Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, which this fall was the first man-made object to travel beyond our solar system. In addition to his research position, he was a Senior Lecturer in MIT's Physics Department. He cared deeply about his students and worked to bring delight to their learning experiences, in his basic first- and second-year physics courses taken by all MIT students, at more sophisticated levels, and by developing innovative teaching methods. In 1963 he was the first recipient of MIT's Everett Moore Baker Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching, and in 1998 received the Department of Physics' William W. Buechner Faculty Award for Teaching. From 1977-1980, Alan was Associate Dean of Students in Charge of Freshman Advising, sharing his experience and love of MIT. Lexington was Alan's home for 43 years, where he was an active member of the community, serving as a Town Meeting member for 30 years and participating on many town committees. He was Chair of the group that founded LexMedia. He served on the schools' Science Advisory Council, and sometimes acted as a judge for the high school's science fairs. A gentle man who respected and was respected by all, Alan will be missed by his wife of 43 years, Marianne (Mazen) Lazarus, his daughter, Julia Selena Lazarus of Providence, RI,, sister and brother-in-law Louise and Pieter de Vries of San Rafael, CA, three nieces and a nephew, and their six children. A more comprehensive history may be seen and recollections may be shared at alanlazarus.wordpress.com. As Alan always said he wanted a party instead of a funeral, friends and colleagues are invited to a celebration in his honor on Saturday, April 12, at the historical Depot, 13 Depot Square, Lexington, from 2:00 to 6:00 pm. (RSVP to Marianne.)