PHOTO: Office of the President banner for President Ira K. Blake. Photo courtesy of UHCL Office of Communication. — Office of the President banner for President Ira K. Blake. Photo courtesy of UHCL Office of Communication.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT: UHCL mourns passing of long-time faculty member

By The Signal On Jun 10, 2020 338 0

Dear UHCL Faculty, Staff and Students:
With much sadness, I share the news of the passing of Professor of History Jonathan Zophy. Dr. Zophy was a member of our UH-Clear Lake family for more than 40 years, and had become a familiar and friendly face to all.

Dr. Zophy joined UH-Clear Lake in 1988 and taught undergraduate and graduate classes that include Western Civilization, World History, Medieval Europe and Urban History. In addition to teaching, he served as past president, treasurer and administrator of UH-Clear Lake’s Phi Kappa Phi chapter; president of the UHCL Council of Professors; director of the Graduate Studies in history; and acting convener of the Cross-Cultural Studies program.

He was the UH-Clear Lake nominee for the Piper Award in 1993, an honor culminating from praise by faculty and students. In addition, he received the President’s Distinguished Research Award in 1999. Other awards include being named the William and Miriam Blake Lecturer by Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Zophy wrote nine books, and numerous articles and book reviews. Some of you may recall that for the university’s 30^th birthday, Dr. Zophy wrote “Building a University: A History of the University of Houston-Clear Lake.” It was an informative book that helped introduce me to the many people and ideas that built our university.

I offer my condolences to his family and all who knew and loved him. As I often remind you in our time of sadness, the Office of Counseling Services can provide emotional support to students. Be sure to contact them at 281-283-2580 if you need assistance. For faculty and staff, we remind you about the comprehensive Employee-Assistance Program provided at no cost and offered by the University of Texas Employee Assistance Program. To access these valuable services, call 713-500-3327 or visit www.mylifevalues.com with the username UHS and password UHS.

Funeral services are pending. Those who wish to memorialize Dr. Zophy through a gift highlighting his legacy, may contact the Office of University Advancement at 281-283-2021.

Sincerely,

Ira K. Blake, Ph.D.
President