Faculty In Memoriam

Howard N. Ross

A longtime faculty member in the Bert W. Wasserman Department of Economics and Finance, Howard N. Ross died last November. Professor Ross taught generations of Baruchians during his 46-year career at the College. His areas of expertise were micro and macro price behavior over business cycles; the relationship between the stock market and the real economy; and monetary, fiscal, and growth policies.

Members of the College community remember him as a full and active participant in College life.

Department Chair Kishore Tandon recalled how deeply committed to Baruch College and to the Wasserman Department Professor Ross was. “Baruch was his life,” said Tandon. Colleague and co-author Barry Ma, associate professor of economics and finance, concurred: “He was one of the most dedicated faculty members I have ever known. He was always in his office—even on Fridays at 5 pm.” Colleague and junior faculty member Sebastiano Manzan spoke of how Ross mentored and befriended younger colleagues. “Every day we would have compelling discussions about current economic and political events. He was a fantastic colleague.”

Beloved and esteemed by the faculty and staff, Professor Ross was also a favorite of students and alumni, who saw him as an expert, friend, and Renaissance man. “Professor Ross and I were introduced by a classmate of mine at one of the Full-Time Honors MBA Program events,” said Paul Redman (MBA ’05), “and although I never had him as a teacher, he and I became friends. He was a great lover of music (especially opera), so my background as a Juilliard graduate and manager at the Metropolitan Opera gave us common ground and led to many wonderful discussions.”

Among his many leadership roles at Baruch College, Ross was department chair, academic director of the Executive MBA Program, and the Baruch chapter chair of the Professional Staff Congress (PSC/CUNY). He accumulated many professional honors, including a CUNY Distinguished Faculty Award and fellowships at Yale University and Columbia University (the latter, his alma mater).

The College will hold a memorial service in Professor Ross’s honor on Dec. 20. Alumni who would like to contribute toward a fund in his memory should send their gifts to The Baruch College Fund/IMO Prof. Harold Ross, One Bernard Baruch Way, Box A-1603, New York, NY 10010.

Rebecca Stearns

Rebecca Stearns, a professor, in the Department of Speech from the mid-1970s until her retirement in the mid-1990s, died on Sept. 23 in Ft. Myers, Florida, with her children by her side. She was 84 years old. Stearns, who held a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree from Stanford University, was a lover of opera, poetry, theatre, politics, and all forms of the fine art of speaking.