Wednesday, Oct 7, 2015
Former faculty member contributed greatly to the field of paleontology
Mervin Kontrovitz, a beloved faculty member, passed away on Friday, Sept. 4, 2015, after a short illness. An inspired teacher, noted researcher and respected paleontologist, Kontrovitz was instrumental in shaping the Department of Geological, Environmental, and Marine Sciences (GEMS). He began his academic career at Rider and served as head of GEMS (then known as the Department of Geosciences) before receiving an endowed professorship.
Born in Toledo, Ohio, he earned a B.S. in geology and a B.Ed. from the University of Toledo, and then went on to earn a M.S. in geology from Tulane University. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a 2nd. Lt. from 1958 to 1966.
He was elected senior fellow of the Geological Society of America and was a member of the American Association of University Administrators, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Paleontological Society (emeritus), British Micropaleontology Society, International Research Group on Ostracoda, North American Micropaleontology Section SEPM, American Petroleum Institute, the Louisiana Academy of Sciences and the New Jersey Academy of Sciences. He was also a member of the honor societies Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Gamma Epsilon and Gamma Theta Epsilon.
After his time at Rider, Kontrovitz accepted a faculty position at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where he served as the head of the Geoscience Department and then as Dean of Pure and Applied Sciences. After his retirement from ULM, he was elected professor emeritus of geosciences.
Professor Jonathan Husch, Chair of GEMS, says Kontrovitz was instrumental in shaping the department during his numerous years as a faculty member and leader. "He was the one who brought me to the university, and he set a very high standard for me to follow, both as new faculty member, and later as chair of the department," Husch says.
Throughout his lifetime, Kontrovitz inspired others with his dedication to the field of paleontology and micro-paleontology. He was an avid researcher and writer who also gave dozens of presentations at conferences around the world.
Steven R. Bell '79, who was a student of Kontrovitz's during his time at Rider, remembers his teacher as a mentor whose approach was both supportive and inspirational. "What was great about Merv is that he had very high standards, but he delivered those high standards in constructive and encouraging ways," Bell says. "He really raised the bar of expectation for me and my fellow students."
Bell, who studied paleontology and micro paleontology with Kontrovitz, went on to pursue his master's degree in geology from the University of Southwest Louisiana. "His courses were very intense," Bell says. "They involved microscope work and library research, but the courses really prepped me for graduate studies. As a graduate teaching assistant facing my own class, I used exactly the lab he gave us and my students were astounded."
Bell also sees him as someone whose professional impact on the field is unprecedented. "He was very passionate about his field of investigation. The research he did in his later years really contributed to science and is used by paleontologists and the current climate change research that's so important today."
Kontrovitch is survived by his wife of 41 years, Eileen Romeo Kontrovitz '73, and their two children.
