Chemistry: Stanley Herowski, Dr. Paul Kwitowski, Theodore Georgian and Donald House

The showcase department in the early years at Niagara County Community College was, in the eyes of many, chemistry.  Early members who had long careers were the late Stanley Herowski, who was the second hire in 1963,  Dr. Paul Kwitowski, the late Theodore Georgian and Donald House. They were later joined by Dr. Angela Parker and Carolyn Schmahl. That NCCC would have a robust chemistry program was no surprise, as the chemical industry in Niagara Falls exploded along with the development of hydroelectric power.  Finding a chemistry job in Niagara Falls was like shooting fish in a barrel.

Central to chemistry was a two-year applied program called “Science Lab Tech”.  Students who completed the program were instantly employable at local companies such as Hooker and Olin, and often commanded wages comparable to engineers with a four-year degree.  Strong ties were also maintained by Ted Georgian with Kodak and Zerox in Rochester, and a steady stream of students migrated to Rochester, New York.  Students were often encouraged to stay at NCCC for a total of three years to take additional coursework in calculus, physics and chemistry.  This additional preparation enabled students to continue their education in chemistry at such institutions as R.I.T., University of Rochester or SUNY at Buffalo - usually at their employer’s expense.

Stanley Herowski

This pipeline produced a multitude of professional chemists, and a fair number of Ph.D.’s. – many of whom graduated with little or no college debt. It was a well established fact that many of these students stood head-and-shoulders above their peers when they transferred to another institution.  NCCC chemistry graduates had more practical lab experience than their peers and, because of the intensely close interaction with their professors, had a very firm theoretical foundation. This rare combination of theory and practice propelled numerous students past such impenetrable barriers as advanced organic and physical chemistry, and well into the upper regions of their chosen profession.

In form, the chemistry program at NCCC was the epitome of community college education.  Professor Georgian developed a course called “Introduction to Physical Science”, and Dr. Kwitowski developed “Introduction to Scientific Data”.  The materials for these courses were entirely developed by professors Georgian and Kwitowski.  This pair of courses was highly effective in taking students who didn’t know a kilogram from a milliliter, and quickly giving them meaningful access to college level science. Such was the case with the long line of single moms, displaced workers, and first generation college students that made their way through these courses into long and prosperous scientific careers.  For these students, Niagara County Community College became their social capital in a very deep and meaningful way.

Beyond their normal responsibilities, both Donald House and Ted Georgian put a lot of themselves into the Science Lab Tech program. They would often be seen at NCCC on Saturdays bringing in supplies for their ongoing candy sales, whereby they raised funds to support poor college students.  They were known to buy outfits for job interviews for students who could not afford such luxuries, in addition to other forms of support that always went unrecorded.

Ted Georgian also served as an adviser to the Science Professionals Club.  Food was served during college hour, and large crowds turned out to hear distinguished speakers from area colleges and universities, professionals from industry, and alumni who returned to speak about their careers.

One such distinguished speaker was Dr. Irving Shames, who was a world-renowned mechanical engineering professor from SUNY Buffalo. Dr. Shames visited NCCC numerous times, and always spoke highly of our graduates.  On more than one occasion he emphatically commended our science faculty, and maintained that our students were always better prepared than those who transferred from other community colleges. He also took the initiative to write a letter to our trustees, citing the exemplary science program at NCCC. Dr. Shames was one of the rare professors who was a renowned researcher, and also a respected teacher. He maintained close ties with Ted Georgian and also with Lalitha Dorai, who was Meredith Kellogg's replacement in physics.  

Donald House also had an exemplary teaching career, winning the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching, and then the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. He also maintained ties with local industry, often acquiring free, used chemistry equipment. Such resourcefulness was necessary to run a costly, equipment-intensive program, along side of other programs that consisted largely of loading students into a lecture hall, and with equipment budgets that consisted of chalk, paper and Scantron answer sheets.  Declining support from both SUNY and Niagara County had made such efforts a necessity, and without professor House’s efforts, the program most likely would not have survived for so long.

Donald House

Among graduates, professor Georgian had a reputation as a great organic chemistry teacher.  He was simultaneously feared by freshman, and respected by graduates who had navigated their way through additional chemistry coursework at a university.  Whereas professor Kellogg had developed a rigorous physics curriculum, professor Georgian had much the same reputation in organic chemistry. The highly conceptual nature of organic chemistry demands that it be taught at a high level, and former students attest that professor Georgian did a masterful job.  Former students have also noted that organic labs routinely went way beyond the allotted three hour time, sometimes extending to more than six hours.

The chemistry program at NCCC also had a much broader scope than the development of laboratory skills. Being that organic chemistry is a gateway course for upward mobility in most health professions, the chemistry department at NCCC served as a breeding ground for pharmacists, medical doctors, chiropractors and public health officials.  Some students were admitted to chiropractic and pharmacy schools directly from NCCC.  Graduates from that era generally did very well on the PCAT, MCAT and other competitive professional exams.  The number of chemistry professors, medical doctors, chiropractors and pharmacists that came out of that relatively small program is staggering.  

On the inorganic side of things, Dr. Kwitowski was the master. Whereas professor Kellogg meticulously graded physics problem sets, Dr. Kwitowski was not to be outdone in chemistry. He developed his own series of notes and problem sets for every chapter of every text that he taught out of, and also developed lab workbooks/manuals for every inorganic lab at NCCC.  Students could expect to work hard in any class offered by Dr. Kwitowski, but all of the work paid off.  Professor Kellogg definitely had a protestant work ethic, himself being a lifelong Free Methodist of great conviction, and Dr. Kwitowski often remarked jokingly that he was driven by “Catholic guilt.”   Whatever the motivation of these fine professors, this strong level of interaction and feedback, in addition to old-school pedagogy, was most definitely what propelled a vast number of students from this small college to earn professional degrees and advanced degrees in the hard sciences.

Dr. Kwitowski also had an exceptional ability, rarely found in science professors. When he was at the top of his game, it was possible to listen to Dr. Kwitowski for 50 minutes, and to remember all 50 minutes of his lecture.   Dr. Kwitowski had, no doubt,  spent many thousands of hours, and many years contemplating how best to teach chemistry.  He could always be found working on yet another project – which could be anything from spherical coordinates and quantum mechanics, to some application of Newtonian mechanics to basic chemistry  -  and the project was always something of significance for his curriculum. Dr. Kwitowski did research, of sorts, but it was always directed toward improving his delivery.  He was, through and through, a community college professor.

Here are a few of our notable graduates that come to mind:.

Dr. Darrell Clinton is a Chemistry Professor at Oakland City University
Dr. Julie Rehm. Assiciate Vice President of Strategic Relations, Case Western Reserve University
Dr. Peter Maziarz, is Senior Research Scientist at Bausch & Lomb
Dr. Christopher Bene is a pediatrician
Dr. Jeffery Cianchetti is a chiropractor
Dr. David Pacana is a chiropractor

Dr. Gerard Makin is an administrator at Clarence High School

Dr. Arthur Downie is a chiropractor

Dr. Al Muto is a pharmacist and owner of Pine Pharmacy

Dr. Mark Delmonte is a chiropractor

Dr. Keith Lellick is a chiropractor

Dr. Kefin Farrel is a dentist

Dr. Lisa Forgione is a medical doctor

Dr. Doug Monteleone is a chiropractor

Dr. Jason Woods is a doctor of chemistry

Dr. Andrew House is a pharmacist

Dr. Sal Passanese was the division chair if life sciences at NCCC (deceased)

Dr. Paul Churder is a dentist

Dr. Dale Thress is a pharmacist

Dr. Delores Metro is a pharmacist

Dr. Neil Canterbury is a doctor of chemistry

Some favorite sayings of chemistry faculty from that era:

Dr. Kwitowski: "That went over like an iridium balloon."
                          "Yet another example of Administrators-Gone-Wild."
                           "Management Sucks" (from one of his t-shirts).

Don House: "That went over over like a fart in church."

Ted Georgian: When asked "What's new?", Ted would always reply, "E over h."

Stan Herowski: "Everyone is born with a fixed amount of energy.  When you use it up, you die."

Student: "Where will I ever use this?"
Herowski: "Don't worry, you won't need this.  You aren't bright enough to use it."

Number of full-time chemistry faculty in the 1990's: 5
Number of full-time chemistry faculty now: 1
Estimated number of weekends Dr. Kwitowski spent grading problem sets: 1200
Number of chemistry faculty who received emeritus status: 0

Last time the chemistry labs were renovated: when built in 1973

Number of times a STEM building proposal was turned down: 2