Michelle Geremia, chair of the biological sciences department, glanced outside her office on a Friday afternoon in the Buckman Center to see Irwin Beitch, professor of biology, standing outside his pathology lab.
Exactly one week later, she looked to that same spot. Her eyes landed on a memorial that read, “Dr. Beitch, thank you for everything. Love, Path. Asst. Class of 2011,” hanging on the door.
Dr. Irwin Beitch passed away on Monday, Oct. 12, 2009. This was his 41st year as a Quinnipiac professor. Beitch was 72 years old.
“He was beloved by the students,” biomedical sciences professor Thomas Brady said. “He was a great colleague and a great friend.”
Brady noted that Beitch’s wit was one of his outstanding traits, and described him as having a “great history with his students.”
Beitch, a Cheshire resident, was one of the founders of the pathologist assistant program, and taught such courses as histology, histochemistry, and biomedical photography, according to a MyQ letter from Mark Thompson, vice president of academic affairs.
“Dr. Beitch was a conscientious, effective and diligent teacher,” Thompson said. “Over the course of his 40 years at the University, his dedication and efforts resulted in significant benefits to students, faculty and other members of our campus community.”
According to Thompson, “he was an early adopter of educational technologies and an active member of the School of Health Sciences’ Instructional Technology Committee.”
His work extended outside the classroom as well, and into Sleeping Giant State Park. He was an active member of the Sleeping Giant Park Association, and led hikes for the Quinnipiac and Hamden communities.
His greatest love, according to Brady, was photography, and Beitch helped bring about the popular biomedical photography course at Quinnipiac. Currently, a memorial service is being developed which will incorporate Beitch’s love for photography. The memorial will take place on Thursday, November 19 at 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall, according to Brady.
Beitch earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Richmond and his doctorate’s degree at the University of Virginia. He began teaching at Quinnipiac in 1969.
photo courtesy of Quinnipiac University
