CEDAR email: Memorial for Chuck Goodrich

[Michael Wiltberger]

>From Mona Kessel/NASA and Michael Wiltberger/NSF

( mona.kessel at nasa.gov, mwiltber at nsf.gov )





It is with great sadness that we relate the recent passing of Charles
(Chuck) Goodrich. His science accomplishments and personal interactions and
influence will continue to affect the science community for many years to
come.



Chuck was educated at M.I.T. and received both his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees
from there, in 1972 and 1978, respectively. He continued at M.I.T. as a
post-doc for two years before moving to the University of Maryland, College
Park, in 1980. He was at UMCP for twenty-two years, first as a Research
Associate in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Later he became the
Director of the Advanced Visualization Laboratory, a position he held
concomitantly with Senior Research Scientist. In 2002, he moved to Boston
University and became the Deputy Director of the Center for Integrated
Space Weather (CISM), and two years later, the Co-Director of CISM. In
2008, Chuck came to NASA HQ under an Intergovernmental Personnel Act
agreement, working first with the Geospace Group, and then later with
Living With a Star (LWS). Chuck retired from BU in 2013.



Chuck’s early research focused on the basic plasma physics process involved
in shocks.  He made important discoveries about the energization of
electrons in collisionless shocks and contributed to the development of
techniques for simulating shocks in plasmas.  Chuck was deeply interested
in the visualization of the scientific data and he was the founding
director the Advanced Visualization Lab at the University of Maryland.  As
part of the ISTP theory program Chuck worked on the development of MHD
simulations of the magnetosphere and the visualization of the results.
Chuck combined his interests in visualization and global MHD modeling with
a movie visualization of a simulation of a geomagnetic storm that
demonstrated to the community both the extremely dynamic nature of the
magnetosphere and the usefulness of global simulations.  As part of the
Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling, Chuck worked on the
development of a framework for coupling disparate space physics models into
an integrated, Sun to Earth model.  Throughout his career he worked closely
with numerous graduate students and post-doctoral researchers, providing
them with invaluable guidance on research and life.



Chuck brought more to his science colleagues and students, then just his
science insights, mentoring, and accomplishments. He loved science, but he
also loved music and good food. In addition to his memorial (details
below), we want to share a few remembrances from the science community.



Slava Merkin from Applied Physics Lab has the following personal
remembrance that many who knew Chuck will appreciate and agree with. “Chuck
was a big part of my “growing up” in the US, first as a grad student in UMD
and then in Boston. He was the first person I actually worked for when I
came to Dennis Papadopolous’ group. I always appreciated his honesty. He
ruffled feathers right and left because he’d say what he thought at the
moment, but he was a good person and an honest scientist. I will always
remember him that way.”



Ramon Lopez from University of Texas at Arlington has a similar
remembrance. “I first met Chuck in Prague in the summer of 1985 having just
defended my dissertation and attending my first international conference.
Chuck, with characteristic generosity, took me under his wing. At that
time, Prague was still under socialist rule, and decent food was hard to
come by.  But Chuck had obtained the secret restaurant list from the US
embassy!  So began one of the best friendships in my life.  Chuck loved
good food and drink, and he had a particular love of Jazz and Blues.  But
it was his generous spirit that I most appreciated, a spirit that extended
well beyond his friends.  On more than one occasion I have seen him go out
of his way to render a kindness for those he did not know because a friend
asked.  He also had a sharp intellect and wit that expressed itself not
only in his science but in his everyday dealings with friends, colleagues
and students.  He called it as he saw it, and I loved that about him.”



At NASA HQ Chuck brought more than just his science expertise and sense of
fairness, during his tenure from 2008 to 2012. He discovered that a small
café a block from HQ had fresh steamed dumplings every Thursday and he got
most of us in Heliophysics to try them. He established this as a tradition
for lunch on Thursdays, that we still adhere to whenever possible. Chuck
also introduced us to local music, that we enjoyed with him on multiple
occasions.



Lika Guhathakurta adds the following. “I will always remember Chuck as a
big man…big in generosity and intellect. Chuck came to work with me in the
LWS TR&T program around 2009-2010. He played an important role in
shepherding the program and a major role in crafting the NASA-NSF
Partnership for Collaborative Space Weather Modeling. But most importantly,
Chuck and I both shared a love for dancing and music, and he introduced me
to many local places. I will always carry those precious memories.”



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The family have made the following arrangements for Chuck’s memorial. On
Sunday April 22, there will be a gathering at Jv’s restaurant (6666
Arlington Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22042, http://jvsrestaurant.com/index.php).
>From 12 to 1 PM, family and friends are welcome to say a few words or share
a few stories about Chuck. From 1 to 4 PM there will be music from a few
local bands that Chuck patronized and with whom he frequently socialized.
This gathering will be a celebration of life, according to his wishes.



Members of the science community are welcome to attend either or both parts
of the memorial. If you plan to attend only the first hour, please arrive
on time and stay as long as would be minimally disruptive.



Anyone unable to attend the memorial or wishing to honor him in another
way, can make a donation to an MIT student aid fund in his name (
https://giving.mit.edu/explore/student-aid ). Chuck loved science
passionately and so a fund dedicated to enabling people to pursue a career
in science is most appropriate.



Anyone having questions about logistics may contact Chuck’s daughter, Katy
Goodrich, at kath.goodrich at gmail.com.
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