Joe Rozak 1760 - 2011 Inductee

Our final inductee has been admired for “putting his heart and soul” into GA. 

He’s described as enthusiastic and energetic, “a mentor who sets an example for those around him to push themselves” while being sensitive to the needs of others and the best interests of the students.

A colleague noted that when he arrived at GA as a science teacher his impact on the curriculum was immediate, as he revised and instituted new courses in Oceanology and Advanced Placement Chemistry. Just a few years later he won his first Outstanding Teacher Award. Now a department chair, he is responsible for many of the curricular improvements and technological advances in the science department. Students enjoy his memorable classes—who wouldn’t enjoy the chance to dissect a very large squid? But as one colleague has noted, what they don’t see, after class has ended, are the long hours spent in preparation for those classes—tinkering with equipment, improving labs, reading science journals, keeping material fresh and engaging. He is patient, determined, devoted.  

As with our other inductees, this person’s commitment to GA extends beyond the classroom. For years he’s been a member of the Community Chorale, he was chair of the Faculty Concerns Committee, he’s served as an advisor to the GA Environmental Action club, and he has been an active member on the Preserve and Sustainability Committee.

He’s perhaps most well known for bringing a Marine Science program to GA and creating the GA Scuba Club, helping students and adults become certified divers and, for more than 20 years, leading highly anticipated and much enjoyed annual trips to places like Belize, Honduras, and the Florida Keys.

Given this inductee’s love of the seas, I thought it fitting to search for some wisdom from the words of the legendary ocean explorer and Frenchman Jacques Cousteau, who coincidentally would have turned 101 tomorrow.

Cousteau once said, “When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself.”

Let’s thank this inductee, for not keeping his life’s talents and passions to himself. Let’s thank him for taking students on extraordinary adventures both inside the classroom and out—for being a trusted colleague and a voice for his peers. Let’s welcome Joe Rozak into the Class of 1760.