Dr. Stern’s passion and enthusiasm inspired a lifelong love of chemistry during my freshman year at Andover. Thank you for helping shape my Andover experience with your craziness and creativity both in and out of the classroom!”

In his own words...

I graduated from Lafayette College with a BS degree in chemistry and subsequently trained to be a science high school teacher in the Bronx, New York. It was truly rewarding in many ways. However, circumstances created an opportunity to continue my graduate education, and I earned a PhD in analytical chemistry from the University of New Hampshire. There I met my wife, Claudia, also from New York, who was studying for her master’s degree in literature. I guess we both felt somewhat alienated from the rest of the UNH student body and found each other’s company comforting. These two old hippies are still together after all these years. There weren’t too many New York liberals at UNH back then, but we managed to find them, making lasting friendships.

I started my chemistry teaching career at Long Island University’s Southampton College campus, out in Long Island’s famous “Hamptons,” from 1975 to 1980. We chose to live in Sag Harbor, Long Island, because it felt like an old New England town, having been a whaling port along with Nantucket. Our son, Adam, was born in 1979, and we both began to feel a magnetic pull to get back to New England and our friends, now that we had a child. An opportunity to return to New England presented itself, and I accepted a short-term position teaching at Smith College. It was a good move, teaching at the prestigious New England school. We loved having so many built-in baby sitters for our little boy, who was endearingly called by the students, “The Little Man on Campus.”

However, after two years at Smith, I accepted an industrial position in the business world, thinking it was appropriate to further my aspirations as an analytical chemist. For the next two decades, I worked in industry. First, at GCA Technology Corp. (Bedford, Mass.), doing EPA contract work in the fields of air pollution and hazardous waste management. The company was the EPA “prime contractor” for the Love Canal program, which brought to public awareness the need to perform remedial action to the many waste sites across America. Case in point was the investigation of the W.R. Grace waste site in Woburn, Mass., that was the story behind the movie A Civil Action.

Deciding to enter the sales force of Leeman Labs (Lowell, Mass.) and later Perkin-Elmer (Norwalk, Conn.), to sell high-end (expensive) spectroscopic equipment to companies and schools across New England brought me to Phillips Academy. Temba Maqubela, then chemistry department chair, purchased an FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectrometer) for the analysis of organic compounds. I was so impressed with the chemistry department and the PA campus that it made me realize how much I missed my teaching years. It was then that I asked Temba if there were any openings in the department. That question happily evolved into securing a continuing instructorship in chemistry.

David Stern, 2004

My first day was September 11, 2001. Little did I know that day would not only be the beginning of teaching again and a new life, but a day that would change our lives forever. I remember my complete excitement and jubilation as I watched dozens of international flags carried down the chapel’s center aisle, and the senior class, screaming ‘02’ like a bunch of crazies, made me think of the uniqueness of this school. I had never witnessed anything like that opening ceremony, but then reality set in as we learned that the World Trade Center was under attack. My first class was a Chemistry 250 group, and the first question asked was, ‘Are we at war?’ Forget my lesson plan; that went out the window. I now recall that I brought back thoughts of the 1960s; the assassinations, the Vietnam War, civil rights, more assassinations, and more unrest… and we survived.

Somehow, we got through that tragedy and buckled down to work, which was necessary therapy—stay busy, stay involved, stay vigil, and continue to talk. I felt such tremendous satisfaction, knowing that I could make a difference in this world, teaching chemistry to these enthusiastic, smart, and eager young minds. I was so happy to be at Andover as an educator once again. Although I was away from teaching for quite a while, I believe my business world experience enriched my classes, stimulating their curiosity about the everyday applications of chemistry.

My responsibilities included coaching, teaching, and complementing. Coaching BJV3 (ninth grade) soccer was especially fun; everyone was new to the school and it was possible to make lasting relationships that continued for years. Seeing some of these kids next year in Chemistry 250 and 300 was wonderful. They knew they were in for a good time. We even had a winning streak going for several years running. No, not a soccer winning streak, but a streak in that for four consecutive years, the president/copresidents of the senior class came from my BJV3 team. How cool was that? Such great kids.

There were many high points, such as being selected by a student as the one influence that made a difference, helping her to win a U.S. Presidential Scholars Award. At reunion gatherings, students came back and thanked me for the chemistry, the mentorship, and the combined fun of being together in this tight community. Some were inspired through chemistry to be chemists, doctors, and teachers, and even physicists and astronomers. I also was involved with the theatre department, playing one of the lobotomized patients in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which was such a great experience for a scientist who never had time for humanity courses in college. Walking the PA paths, students and teachers would say how great I was in the show; remember, I had no speaking part, and I was wheel chaired around from place to place. I just had to ‘look’ and act appropriately.

Life at Andover has been very good to me. Having come from a 9-to-5 sales job, many days traveling away from family, and with two weeks off for the entire year, I was thrilled to come to Phillips Academy. It was not easy work, but so much more satisfying. I have made lasting friendships here, including colleagues outside of my department, like John Maier in the Spanish Department. I will always be grateful to Matt Lisa (math) and Paul Tortorella (English) for befriending me during our three-day orientation meetings. They both had come from academia, but found it in their hearts to accept this older newcomer back into the fold of education. Having spent most of my career outside of the Andover bubble, I appreciate how fortunate I was to ask Temba of possible employment at Andover more than 16 years ago.

On the first day of classes my Upper year, I trudged up three flights of stairs in Gelb and plopped myself in the front row of my CHEM-550 classroom. Striving for a good first impression, I arrived early from lunch to my 6th period class. As I sat alone, I was oblivious to the extraordinary adventure I was about to embark on. After a couple of minutes, students filed in and sat down, and eventually the legendary Dr. Stern entered the room. You had a brisk walk, yet also radiated an aura of swagger as you donned pink pastel chinos with a white polo and aviator sunglasses. This man radiated charisma and amicability, which instantly created a comfortable classroom environment as he joked around with us and told stories. In that instance, I knew this would be no ordinary science class. In fact, you, Dr. Stern, became one of my most influential mentors and one of my closest friends at Andover.”