You have arrived at the personal webpage of Ronald J. Bieniek.
[My professional-life webpage is still at
http://physics.mst.edu/faculty/bieniek]
I am no longer a Professor of Physics at Missouri University of Science and Technology, where I was founding Director of New Faculty Programs and of the Learning Enhancement Across Disciplines Program (LEAD)
I am now a Professor of Engineering at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
You can reach me by e-mail at bieniek@marshall.edu
, by phone at +1 (304) 696-2471, or
by mail at:
College of Information Technology and
Engineering
Marshall University, GH 112
One John Marshall Drive
Huntington, WV 25755
USA
Ron Bieniek curriculum vitae (CV)
Bieniek’s professional webpage: bio, research, ….
Missouri S&T course Engineering Physics I with Velocity Vector Man
Missouri S&T Learning Enhancement Across Disciplines Program (and informative video)
Missouri S&T New Faculty Programs
Marshall University College of Information Technology and Engineering
For a good laugh, you may
wish to see Ron’s performance in the Faculty/Staff
Talent Show in February 2009 at Missouri S&T. It was a fund-raiser
for the very worthwhile organization Engineers Without
Borders (http://www.ewb-usa.org/).
Ron performed as Joliet Jake, the singer in the Blues
Brother. Here is the URL for the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOIRANq3Sjc. (There is a dead
spot in the sound as the curtain opens, but it does come back just before the
“music” begins.) This demonstrates that
one need not have talent to be in such a show.
Ron was featured
in the S&T alumni magazine’s special issue about “Teachers Who Made A Difference” (http://magazine.mst.edu/2009/09/ron_bieniek_professor_of_physi). It is actually a warming tale of its author,
John Johnson, one of Ron’s former students and mentee – who did right well (see
http://astronomy.fas.harvard.edu/people/john-asher-johnson).
Single click on any image
below to expand it to full size
Ron and Valri Bieniek ….
Ronald Bieniek and Valri Hammonds when they became engaged at Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite Valley on 27 October 2006
Ron and Val enjoying breakfast in Bellagio (Lake Como, Italy) in June 2006
Ron and Val on their wedding day (16 June 2007) at Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite Valley, California
The new extended family
Ron and Val on their honeymoon in Europe (July 2007)
Valri Bieniek receives her Ph.D. in Instructional Design for Online Learning from Capella University (1 March 2008)
Ron’s
"kids" (Michelle and Geoff) have grown into fine adults
....
Daughter Michelle and Craig Thompson at their wedding (27 Oct 2006) at a campground near Bass Lake, California, with Jimmy and Luke (Ron’s grandsons)
Current Michelle in Bass Lake, CA, with grandkids Luke, Jimmy, and Noah (March 2008)
Catamaran “driver” Geoff B with
Harrison Ford in Honolulu
Current
Geoff in Norfolk, VA, after leaving the Navy (April 2008)
The Grandkids
My grandson Lucas Evan Bailey was
born 24 August 1998 (a most handsome and intelligent kid).
Luke as a one-year old enjoying a fine dining moment Luke at 3 years
My grandson James Richardson Bailey was born 20 February 2000 (a most smiling and rambunctious child).
Jimmy enjoying a fine dining
moment
Jimmy at 2 years
My grandson Noah Ronald Thompson was born on 29 February 2008 (with fine auspices on that year’s Leap-Day)
Grandpa with new grandson Noah
My grand-daughter Sage Carolina was born on 14 August 2010 (my first grandkid of the female gender!)
Grandpa with grand-daughter Sage
Retirement conclave for a beloved course
A grand retirement conclave was held March 24-25, 2000, at Harvard University
to give honor to and reminisce about the course The Astronomical Perspective
and its long-time instructors, Owen Gingerich and
David Latham. This was a bitter-sweet event for the many teaching fellows
who were privileged to have been associated with the
course over the years. It will be remembered in mind and heart.
Owen Gingerich and Dave Latham
Dave Latham presenting (or blessing?) the celebratory "open book" cake at the Science Center
Legendary associates of Nat Sci 9 (Larry Liebovitch, Ron Bieniek, Bill DeCampli, Owen Gingerich, Bruce Carney, David Jhirad)
Owen G exiting on rocket chair with appropriately-placed outgassing
David L relaxing after successful conclusion of the conclave
Ron’s remarkable thesis supervisor, Alex Dalgarno
Ron
was fortunate to have Alex Dalgarno as his doctoral
degree supervisor. A world renowned
atomic and molecular theorist, Dalgarno had recently
taken on the job as Chair of Harvard’s Department of Astronomy – but still took
on this graduate student who had just transferred from M.I.T. Ron still marvels at Alex’s ability to pull
the spot-on reference or paper out of his memory to help with a nettlesome
problem at hand. It was great to see him
still at work when we visited him in his office at the Center for Astrophysics
in 2010.