Gordon J. Aubrecht II – 1943-2016

Long-time Ohio State Marion physics professor and OSU Emeritus Academy Professor, Dr. Gordon J. Aubrecht, II, passed away at his home in Delaware, Ohio Monday afternoon, November 21st.  He’d been informed that he had untreatable cancer in late September.  In an e-mail to Marion faculty and staff, Dr. Aubrecht said he was shocked by the diagnosis, noting he’d only taken one sick day in his 43 years of teaching at Ohio State Marion.  He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1971.  He was 73 years old at the time of his death.

“Gordon was dedicated to his students and shared his love of physics with hundreds of them through his tenure here,” said Ohio State Marion dean and director, Dr. Gregory S. Rose, “but he was also a scholar in all senses of the word, publishing numerous papers and writing a textbook titled Energy in 2005.  We will miss his intellect and personal energy on this campus.”

His close friend, Dr. Brian McEnnis called Aubrecht “a driving force” and “a central figure” in shaping Ohio State’s regional campuses.  He helped set up a regional campus council that represented the interests of the regional campuses to Ohio State’s central administration.  McEnnis said it was Dr. Aubrecht who insisted that faculty on the regional campuses be held to the same standards of research and scholarship as those employed in Columbus.

Dr. Aubrecht received Ohio State’s Faculty Award for Distinguished University Service in 2008.

In addition to his teaching duties, Dr. Aubrecht was active in many organizations including the American Physical Society, the Association for University Regional Campuses of Ohio, and the American Association of University Professors.  In fact, at the time of his passing, he was the president of The Ohio State University Chapter of the AAUP.  Fellow member, Dr. Douglas Macbeth called him “a tireless defender of academic freedom and an energetic participant in University governance.”  Dr. Macbeth noted that “Gordon was passionate about physics and physics education.  He shared his knowledge beyond the classroom in his role as a public intellectual.”

For many years, Dr. Aubrecht was involved in helping high school and middle school science teachers develop an inquiry-based model for science education.  He was working on writing a book on the subject at the time of his death.

Ohio State Marion has established a fund to name the physics lab in the new science and engineering building rising on the campus in honor of Dr. Aubrecht.  A number of organizations, former students, and colleagues have contributed to the effort.  Those interested in contributing may do so by sending a check to the Ohio State University at Marion Development Office, 1465 Mount Vernon Avenue, Marion, OH 43302 made out to the Ohio State University Foundation, fund number 315649.  Online contributions may also be made at www.giveto.osu.edu and designating fund 315649.

Dr. Aubrecht was laid to rest on Wednesday, November 23rd in a green burial service in Gambier, Ohio.

3 thoughts on “Gordon J. Aubrecht II – 1943-2016

  1. Dr. Aubrecht worked with our team of middle school science teachers for three years. I had the pleasure of learning and developing curriculum with Dr. Aubrecht for three of the four years the program worked with our district. The depth of knowledge and his ability to express that knowledge was delivered with such brilliance that one could only sit back and soak it all in. Dr. Aubrecht made me a better teacher of science and I will always cherish the time that we spent working together. He was a great man.

    • Professor Aubrecht’s TEDx Talk on the value of nuclear power as a bridge to perfected solar power is a classic on YouTube, and I hope that it animates #SDG9 in getting the world to create a rational approach to achieving carbonless energy by mid century. https://youtu.be/nRXDYC3TnG4

  2. Dr. Aubrecht taught the Physics 101 section that I took in 1980. He was the embodiment of energy. I still smile when I think about his in-class demonstrations: once he opened up an upright piano and screamed, repeatedly, into the sound board as an example of sound waves. He really could get a class of half asleep first year students to engage!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *