The SUNY New Paltz community honored the memory of professor emeritus Heinz Meng (1924-2016) with a special program featuring a plaque dedication, a screening of a short film about Meng, an exhibition of Meng’s bird paintings, and an address from former student and current Animal Curator at the Central Park Zoo, Susan Cardillo ’94 (Biology).
“Dr. Meng was an extraordinary educator who inspired generations of New Paltz students, including many of you here with us tonight,” said President Donald P. Christian.
“I know when I speak with alumni and former students, many recall the profound impact he had on their lives and their careers. They often tell me about an event or an experience in the field with Dr. Meng that is so vividly etched in their brain that you would think it happened just moments, rather than decades, ago. That’s the kind of impact he had on students.”
Meng made lasting contributions as a field biologist – a renowned lover of birds of prey, he is widely credited with saving the peregrine falcon from extinction in the Eastern United States – but this tribute focused more on his legacy working with people.
He was a beloved New Paltz faculty member from his appointment in 1951 until his retirement in 2001, a dedicated scholar, artist, mentor and educator who touched the lives of hundreds of New Paltz students over more than 50 years on campus. Many alumni from various decades came back for the tribute.
“Heinz Meng left a legacy as an educator and biologist, and that work continues with the current generation of faculty and students in the SUNY New Paltz Biology Department,” said Dan Freedman, dean of the School of Science & Engineering. “Our faculty continue to develop new and creative ways to engage students in courses as well as research. Like Professor Meng, they take advantage of the natural world around New Paltz to educate not just the next generation of biologists and students in all fields across campus, but members of the community as well.”
Meng’s excellence as a scientist, a conservationist and an educator was the subject of a short documentary film, “The Legacy of Heinz Meng,” produced by recent Digital Media Production alumni Paul Spaulding ’17, of Northport, N.Y., and Abby Shaffer ’17, of Manhasset, N.Y.
“As soon as I met Heinz Meng, I was in awe,” said Cardillo, who opened her lecture, “Life at the Zoo,” with a dedication to Meng’s influence on her professional development.
“I loved being in his classroom, having all those live specimens to identify, and going on weekly field trips to the Gunks. But there was really nothing more profound than watching him fly his birds. I loved the relationships that he had with the birds, and I loved how he drew on those relationships to teach his audiences. I wanted that for my life. That was really the start of my career as a zoologist.”
The SUNY New Paltz Foundation has launched a new fundraising initiative, the Dr. Heinz K. Meng Environmental and Conservation Education Fund at SUNY New Paltz, to support the maintenance and shared use of a study collection built by Heinz Meng over his many years as a field biologist in the Hudson Valley.
The collection includes nearly 5,000 specimens of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects and plants, and serves as an invaluable tool for students and faculty in the Biology Department and throughout the campus community.
Use this link for more information about how to support the legacy of Heinz Meng.
