U. remembers Education prof

Several hundred faculty, administrators and friends joined together at the Zellerbach Theatre Sunday afternoon to pay tribute to the memory of Ralph Ginsburg, a Penn Education professor who passed away last July while vacationing with his wife in England. Ginsburg, 61, served the University in numerous capacities since 1963, when he joined the faculty as a lecturer in the Sociology Department. His most recent appointment was as chairperson of the Educational Leadership Division in the Graduate School of Education. Ginsburg died on July 31 in a Bristol, England, hospital, the result of injuries suffered in an auto accident. Lauding his academic contributions, personal accomplishments and warm personality, a number of University officials and Ginsburg family members spoke at the ceremony, which lasted for over 1 1/2 hours. "He was a visionary in the study of technology and learning," said Education School Dean Susan Fuhrman, who opened the memorial with a description of Ginsburg's scholarly accomplishments and personal qualities. "His infectious warmth spread among faculty, students and staff." Many members of the audience were visibly moved when Marjorie Ginsburg -- the deceased's eldest daughter -- paused and wept as she recounted her family's history and memories of time spent with her father. The younger Ginsburg said it was her father's ability to maintain a "good work-life balance" that made him such a success in his profession and with his family. She discussed her parents' passion for culture and travel, an activity that was key to her father's study of the teaching of foreign languages. Several other Ginsburg colleagues, including professors from the University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands and Loyola University in Chicago, echoed the sentiment that Ginsburg was truly a worldwide scholar. "We worked and collaborated together for over 30 years," noted Sociology Professor Emeritus Richard Lambert, the former director of the National Center for Foreign Language. "He was an immensely talented and motivated scholar." "I can confidently say that my father died doing what he loved to do," Marjorie Ginsburg added. Ralph Ginsburg's wife Lois, who serves as the associate director of the Education School's Center for Organizational Dynamics, was also in the car at the time but escaped without any major physical injuries.