Comments (0)
Email
Dr. Joseph Reynolds was one of the most accomplished and loved professors at Manhattan College. He was known for his brilliance, thoughtfulness, and quick wit. Renowned for his extraordinary teaching ability, Dr. Reynolds was often referred to as a "walking encyclopedia" by the scores of students he had taught over the past 43 years.
Moreover, with his friendly and amiable character, he created a lasting
impression in the hearts of his family, friends, and colleagues over
his lifetime.
Dr. Reynolds died on May 1, 2007 after a long battle with melanoma. He was born in New York City on May 19, 1935, and was the eldest of five siblings: Hugh, Matthew, Thomas, and Patricia. At thirteen he entered the Christian Brothers and completed his secondary education in Barrytown, New York. In 1957, he earned his bachelors degree in Chemistry from the Catholic University of America, and then received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In 1964, Dr. Reynolds began his teaching career at Manhattan College. He taught many courses, most notably Chemical Process Calculations, Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Computer Simulation and Design, and Engineering Materials. From 1976 until 1983, Dr. Reynolds also served as the Chairman of the Department. Additionally, he was the adviser of the student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and President of the College's Sigma Xi Chapter. Finally, he initiated many events for the Department, most notably Senior Career Night, for which the Department invites leaders in industry to help guide members of the senior class towards choosing their future career path.
Dr. Reynolds accumulated a vast body of scholarship within the field of chemical engineering. In collaboration with long-time colleague and friend, Dr. Louis Theodore, he published several textbooks and a series of chemical engineering tutorials, including: Materials Science and Engineering, Material and Energy Balances, and Introduction to PRO/II: A Process Flowsheet Simulator. Dr. Reynolds was an expert in Air Pollution Control and Hazardous Waste Management, and developed software for the Environmental Protection Agency.
Aside from his outstanding contributions in scholarship and service to Manhattan College, Dr. Reynolds is best known for his teaching. He received many accolades for his outstanding abilities in the classroom. A number of times, Dr. Reynolds was the recipient of the "Outstanding Teacher" award given by the College's Tau Beta Pi honor society. Moreover, he is listed in American Men and Women in Science, Who's Who in Technology Today, Who's Who Among America's Teachers, International and National Who's Who in Engineering, and Who's Who in the East. Whenever Dr. James Patrick Abulencia, former student and current faculty member, is asked, "Who is the greatest teacher you have ever had?" the person that comes to his mind instantaneously is Dr. Reynolds. "He simply knew everything, and had the incredible ability to convey the most intricate chemical engineering principles into simple terms." Dr. Reynolds was an exceptionally dedicated teacher. He would spend hours preparing his lectures for classes. Even after years of teaching the same courses, he always felt there was an element in each lesson that could be improved. Brother William Batt, a friend of Dr. Reynolds since their college years together, recalled at the funeral, "Joe never went into a classroom unprepared, and his students loved him not because he was an easy A [because he wasn't!], but because he was a conscientious teacher who was willing to help any student who needed extra help."
Dr. Reynolds was inspiring in many different ways. He encouraged students to be well-rounded, and take part in extra-curricular activities to supplement their education. He always invited them to attend AIChE meetings and other events for the department. In particular, he organized panel discussions in which chemical engineering alumni would speak to the current students about life after college and the diverse career opportunities that would be open to them. Not surprisingly, alumni required little persuasion to return to their second home and to support the close knit chemical engineering community that Dr. Reynolds had helped create. There is no doubt that Dr. Reynolds had a tremendous impact on all of his students. In fact, two of the current members of the chemical engineering faculty were taught by Dr. Reynolds. Dr. Ann Marie Flynn, Chairperson of the department, fondly remembers, "For me, Joe Reynolds was the gold standard in teaching--the best prepared and the most informed. As a student, I had hoped for...distance from his probing questions and the infinite silence that followed (on my part). As a teacher, I followed his lead like an understudy in the school play. We all would have loved ten more years with Joe--but the truth is that I would have given anything for just ten more minutes--to say thanks and goodbye one more time to my mentor and friend." Dr. Abulencia reflects, "Dr. Reynolds will forever be my hero. He is the reason I wanted to come back home to Manhattan College. Dr. Reynolds was my teacher as an undergrad, and my mentor as a faculty member. I am very fortunate and privileged to have had the opportunity to work side by side with him as a colleague. I will always look back fondly on our short time together this past spring. He will be missed dearly."
Dr. Reynolds was not only an outstanding professor, but a loving family man. He met his future wife, Barbara, at Manhattan College while she was obtaining her masters degree in Religious Studies, and they eventually married in 1973. They have two daughters, Megan and Marybeth, also graduates of Manhattan's chemical engineering program. As Marybeth recalls, "My father was a great dad and a great professor. Looking back, I will always be glad that I majored in chemical engineering at Manhattan because I was lucky enough to know him in both aspects of his life. It was a privilege to be both his daughter and his student." Daughter Megan remembers, "My sister and I became chemical engineers because of my dad - that's obvious! But it wasn't because he 'made us' as we used to tease him. Growing up, we constantly heard that chemical engineering was the best discipline since it was the most challenging, and because, 'with a chemical engineering degree, you can do anything you want.' He truly believed that. It took me a while to admit it, but he was right." Determined never to retire, Dr. Reynolds continued to teach as long as possible. Until less than a month before he died, Dr. Reynolds insisted on attending his classes, then taught by Dr. Abulencia. During his last month, many students visited him at home as often as they could. Students have said that, "Dr. Reynolds was always happy when we came over." It was fitting then, that when Dr. Reynolds died in hospice care at Lawrence Hospital, he was surrounded by his family, friends, colleagues, students and former students.
Dr. Reynolds' funeral was held at Manhattan College in the Chapel of De La Salle. The entire chapel was filled. At the end of the memorial service, an honor guard of students spanned the length of the chapel to honor Dr. Reynolds. There was an air of sadness in the room, but everyone was so proud to be able to say they were a student of one of the greatest teachers of all time. Tears fell freely as we watched Dr. Reynolds' family walk the aisle. The family was moved by the many students who showed their respects so willingly and lovingly. Mrs. Reynolds warmly reminisces that this moment was one of her favorite tributes to her husband. Dr. Reynolds will always be remembered for his zest for life, his enthusiasm for his work, and his dedication to Manhattan College.
In Dr. Reynolds' memory, the Professor Joseph P. Reynolds Scholarship for Chemical Engineering has been established for incoming freshman Chemical Engineers at Manhattan College. Donations may be made through the Office of Planned Giving at Manhattan College.
Dr. Reynolds died on May 1, 2007 after a long battle with melanoma. He was born in New York City on May 19, 1935, and was the eldest of five siblings: Hugh, Matthew, Thomas, and Patricia. At thirteen he entered the Christian Brothers and completed his secondary education in Barrytown, New York. In 1957, he earned his bachelors degree in Chemistry from the Catholic University of America, and then received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In 1964, Dr. Reynolds began his teaching career at Manhattan College. He taught many courses, most notably Chemical Process Calculations, Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Computer Simulation and Design, and Engineering Materials. From 1976 until 1983, Dr. Reynolds also served as the Chairman of the Department. Additionally, he was the adviser of the student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and President of the College's Sigma Xi Chapter. Finally, he initiated many events for the Department, most notably Senior Career Night, for which the Department invites leaders in industry to help guide members of the senior class towards choosing their future career path.
Dr. Reynolds accumulated a vast body of scholarship within the field of chemical engineering. In collaboration with long-time colleague and friend, Dr. Louis Theodore, he published several textbooks and a series of chemical engineering tutorials, including: Materials Science and Engineering, Material and Energy Balances, and Introduction to PRO/II: A Process Flowsheet Simulator. Dr. Reynolds was an expert in Air Pollution Control and Hazardous Waste Management, and developed software for the Environmental Protection Agency.
Aside from his outstanding contributions in scholarship and service to Manhattan College, Dr. Reynolds is best known for his teaching. He received many accolades for his outstanding abilities in the classroom. A number of times, Dr. Reynolds was the recipient of the "Outstanding Teacher" award given by the College's Tau Beta Pi honor society. Moreover, he is listed in American Men and Women in Science, Who's Who in Technology Today, Who's Who Among America's Teachers, International and National Who's Who in Engineering, and Who's Who in the East. Whenever Dr. James Patrick Abulencia, former student and current faculty member, is asked, "Who is the greatest teacher you have ever had?" the person that comes to his mind instantaneously is Dr. Reynolds. "He simply knew everything, and had the incredible ability to convey the most intricate chemical engineering principles into simple terms." Dr. Reynolds was an exceptionally dedicated teacher. He would spend hours preparing his lectures for classes. Even after years of teaching the same courses, he always felt there was an element in each lesson that could be improved. Brother William Batt, a friend of Dr. Reynolds since their college years together, recalled at the funeral, "Joe never went into a classroom unprepared, and his students loved him not because he was an easy A [because he wasn't!], but because he was a conscientious teacher who was willing to help any student who needed extra help."
Dr. Reynolds was inspiring in many different ways. He encouraged students to be well-rounded, and take part in extra-curricular activities to supplement their education. He always invited them to attend AIChE meetings and other events for the department. In particular, he organized panel discussions in which chemical engineering alumni would speak to the current students about life after college and the diverse career opportunities that would be open to them. Not surprisingly, alumni required little persuasion to return to their second home and to support the close knit chemical engineering community that Dr. Reynolds had helped create. There is no doubt that Dr. Reynolds had a tremendous impact on all of his students. In fact, two of the current members of the chemical engineering faculty were taught by Dr. Reynolds. Dr. Ann Marie Flynn, Chairperson of the department, fondly remembers, "For me, Joe Reynolds was the gold standard in teaching--the best prepared and the most informed. As a student, I had hoped for...distance from his probing questions and the infinite silence that followed (on my part). As a teacher, I followed his lead like an understudy in the school play. We all would have loved ten more years with Joe--but the truth is that I would have given anything for just ten more minutes--to say thanks and goodbye one more time to my mentor and friend." Dr. Abulencia reflects, "Dr. Reynolds will forever be my hero. He is the reason I wanted to come back home to Manhattan College. Dr. Reynolds was my teacher as an undergrad, and my mentor as a faculty member. I am very fortunate and privileged to have had the opportunity to work side by side with him as a colleague. I will always look back fondly on our short time together this past spring. He will be missed dearly."
Dr. Reynolds was not only an outstanding professor, but a loving family man. He met his future wife, Barbara, at Manhattan College while she was obtaining her masters degree in Religious Studies, and they eventually married in 1973. They have two daughters, Megan and Marybeth, also graduates of Manhattan's chemical engineering program. As Marybeth recalls, "My father was a great dad and a great professor. Looking back, I will always be glad that I majored in chemical engineering at Manhattan because I was lucky enough to know him in both aspects of his life. It was a privilege to be both his daughter and his student." Daughter Megan remembers, "My sister and I became chemical engineers because of my dad - that's obvious! But it wasn't because he 'made us' as we used to tease him. Growing up, we constantly heard that chemical engineering was the best discipline since it was the most challenging, and because, 'with a chemical engineering degree, you can do anything you want.' He truly believed that. It took me a while to admit it, but he was right." Determined never to retire, Dr. Reynolds continued to teach as long as possible. Until less than a month before he died, Dr. Reynolds insisted on attending his classes, then taught by Dr. Abulencia. During his last month, many students visited him at home as often as they could. Students have said that, "Dr. Reynolds was always happy when we came over." It was fitting then, that when Dr. Reynolds died in hospice care at Lawrence Hospital, he was surrounded by his family, friends, colleagues, students and former students.
Dr. Reynolds' funeral was held at Manhattan College in the Chapel of De La Salle. The entire chapel was filled. At the end of the memorial service, an honor guard of students spanned the length of the chapel to honor Dr. Reynolds. There was an air of sadness in the room, but everyone was so proud to be able to say they were a student of one of the greatest teachers of all time. Tears fell freely as we watched Dr. Reynolds' family walk the aisle. The family was moved by the many students who showed their respects so willingly and lovingly. Mrs. Reynolds warmly reminisces that this moment was one of her favorite tributes to her husband. Dr. Reynolds will always be remembered for his zest for life, his enthusiasm for his work, and his dedication to Manhattan College.
In Dr. Reynolds' memory, the Professor Joseph P. Reynolds Scholarship for Chemical Engineering has been established for incoming freshman Chemical Engineers at Manhattan College. Donations may be made through the Office of Planned Giving at Manhattan College.
Leave a comment