Q&A: A teacher for all times

Givens

Last September, Professor Emeritus M. Parker Givens entered his 51st year in the Department of Optics. He joined the Rochester staff in 1947, after teaching at Penn State and doing research at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Currents recently spoke with Givens about the changes he has seen--and about his unusual hobby.

What are some of the most significant changes you've seen in the field of optics?

Today lasers, holography, and fiber optics are important areas of the field. But 50 years ago, there were no lasers or holograms, and fiber optics was considered a curiosity rather than an important communication tool.

I have taught courses in the wave properties of light, polarized light, holography, spectroscopy, and solid state physics. Over the years, the curriculum has expanded and been reorganized to include modern developments. Now, there are more experiments involving lasers and holography. Holography was not in existence when I was a student, but it was invented before today's students were born; they do not appreciate that this is a relatively new discovery in the field of optics.

What areas do your students pursue?

The majority of our students will pursue careers in industrial research. There are so many more opportunities for them in research today. When the students reach my lab, they are committed to the pursuit of a career in the field of optics, serious about their education, and focused on their objectives.

Many scientists pursue careers in research. What made you choose teaching?

When I started out, I knew that upper level education was at the top of my list. It makes me feel good seeing my students succeed. The main object of my career has been helping people to learn--the definition of teaching. My thesis was in optical properties of metals, a topic that some of my students have pursued and carried on as a tradition. I have had very satisfying and useful experiences here. There has never been a time that I have wished to pursue a different course.

Rumor has it you have another passion besides teaching optics.

I keep colonies of bees; that's what I do for fun on the weekends. One summer, around 1965, I was vacationing in Nantucket with my wife and children. During a walk on the back roads, we saw a swarm of bees in a bush, and I decided that at some time in my life, I wanted to keep bees. After my wife and I moved from Henrietta to a farmhouse in Williamson, I got a couple of colonies of bees and have had them ever since.

I often say to people during peak season in July and August that I have more bees living in my back yard than there are people in Monroe County.