AC_1965_Web

52 AN T I OC H CO L L E G E C L A S S O F 19 6 5 5 0 t h A N N I V E R S A R Y B O O K A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z G O L D B E R G GOLDBERG STEPHEN J. [STEVE/BERG] Steve and granddaughter, Zella. THEN AND NOW 4 B.A. Biology 4 Ph.D., Biology, Clark University FAMI LY 4 Wife, Mary Ellen 4 Daughter, Anne 4 Son, Jon 4 Five stepsons 4 Granddaughter, Zella ADDRESS 4 6370 Evian Pl. Boynton Beach, FL 33437-4909 CONTACT 561 732-5281 http://www.anatomy.vcu.edu/ directory/retired/goldberg.html 1 . I D I D G R A D U A T E in 1965 and heard MLK Jr. speak that day in June. Wonderful. Sat next to an African-American student who thought Martin Luther King was an “Uncle Tom” of sorts (a not uncom- mon thought among young African- Americans at the time). MLK Jr. was urged (quietly) to “shut up” several times throughout his talk. I was not amused by my fellow student’s urg- ings. I had never heard King speak before, in person, and thought he was terrific. (Maybe that doesn’t count as an “after graduation” event since I didn’t receive my diploma from James Dixon until after the talk—got the picture of me and Jim to prove it though.) 2. Went on to graduate school at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., and earned a Ph.D. degree in biology. Got married in 1968, while at Clark. My wife and I had two babies,Anne in 1970 and Jonathan in 1972, But neither were born in Massachusetts. Regardless, they are still well and thriving—and there is now a grand- child, Zella. Superb in all ways. 3. Anne was born in Phila- delphia as I finished my degree (my Clark Ph.D. advisor moved to the University of Pennsylvania and I moved shortly thereafter to write my thesis under his direction) and Jon was born in Los Angeles during my postdoctoral fellowship at the Brain Research Institute at UCLA.My “babies” are doing great. 4. From UCLA I took an assis- tant professorship in the anatomy department at the medical school, Medical College of Virginia, of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond,Va. I rose there over the years to a full professorship and trained many (around 17) gradu- ate students who are now doing re- search and training other students. I also trained (lectured to) thou- sands of medical, dental, pharmacy and occupational therapy students. (“Thousands” is not an overstate- ment—around 9,000 total would not be out of line, probably even more.) I even had lectured to the anesthetist who recently managed my anesthesia during my knee (left) replacement surgery down here in Florida.There are lots of my students out there somewhere. (Total Knee Replacements, however, are NOT fun.) 5. I was also, of course, amply funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to do my neurophysio- logical research into eye movement motor control as well as tongue mo- tor control. (Try to live your life with- out good conjugate eye movements (you get double vision) and if your tongue doesn’t work quite right it’s real hard to talk, to say nothing of swallowing your food.) In the final analysis I was really paid by VCU and the NIH to do research and fur- ther our understanding of the brain. They (VCU) cared little (other than lip service) about the medical, den- tal, pharmacy, etc., students, but I taught them nonetheless. And I en- joyed teaching them. But what uni- versity medical schools really want from their faculty is money in the form of research grants—and I deliv- ered. (Sorry about the truth regard- ing medical, etc., education.) 6. I stayed at VCU for almost 35 years and am now living comfort- ably in south Florida on a Virginia Retirement System pension with my wife, Mary Ellen, of 15 years. I have been married to Mary Ellen for longer, in total (almost), than I was to my previous wives (too many to enumerate). (I did remain single, very happily too, for about 10 years in there somewhere.) I also have loved and continue to enjoy (some more at a distance than others) the five stepsons “collected” during my past and current life. 7. Mary Ellen is a force in her own right as a veterinary nurse (technician) focused on pain man- agement: teaching, books, lots of stuff. She’s a dedicated and fiercely competitive woman. She’s petite and