I was a friend and colleague of Michael’s. I enjoyed his presence in my life, and socializing with him on our porch in the summertime. He was a fine scientist and teacher. He will be sorely missed.
Michael made invaluable contributions to our understanding of communication in humans and other animals and was well respected and admired by those who knew him. His untimely death is mourned by many. My sincere sympathies to his family.
I dearly miss his brilliance, integrity, wit, and genuine kindness. A true friend and mentor, his passing has left an irreplaceable void. May we all find some form of serenity in time.
Michael’s death is a true loss–his intellect and his musical talent alone brought a great deal to many people–and his impact on those around him will be long felt and deeply valued. I send my deepest sympathies to Michael’s family and those others closest to him.
In my memories, Michael will always be brimming with ideas and hope. He was a great teacher and in so many ways a brilliant and determined researcher. I hope that peace can be with his friends and family.
Brilliant researcher. Excellent Lecturer and Teacher. Mentor. Music lover and A capella aficionado. Michael was all of these things and more. But to me, he will always be the faculty member we 1st year Cornell grads wanted to hang out with, learn from, and be like. RIP, Michael. Thanks for being an important part of my life.
When I think of Michael, I am re-inspired by his wisdom, sincerity, deep intelligence, and compassion. What a role model he was for me as a fledgling student, and for so many others. I miss him, and remember him with great fondness and gratitude.
Michael — It’s been 9 years since you decided to leave the drama of this mortal stage.
I miss our conversations, both personal and theoretical, and also your wry smile.
You were good company.
. Today I made a list of everyone I knew who ended their own life long before The Reaper demanded it of them. Not a single one let slip any hint nor clue of their decision — not a one, and for this I am baffled. Shouldn’t a suicide bemoan their pain and suffering long before the final act? How could they hide their pain so completely from those who befriended and cared for them?
. I know that your repeated failures to gain academic tenure weighed heavily on you, and may have been a critical trigger in your decision to leave. And persistent endogenous depression is a heavy burden. But know that your published research continues to be widely read and cited. I am impressed by your legacy.
. You are sorely missed.
As one of Michael’s graduate advisees, I came to know him quite well during my years at Cornell. Professionally, Michael was one of those rare scholars who combined great practical meticulousness with impressive breadth of mind. Whether it was working out some small technical problem with an experiment or exploring the broad shores of theory, he was equally at home. These are not qualities always found together in the same person.
He was a conscientious teacher, always working hard to make sometimes arcane details understandable. When I first met him I was a complete novice in acoustical analysis and communication theory. Under his expert guidance, I rapidly reached the point where I could not only grasp the fundamentals of these difficult fields, but make original (if modest) contributions to them. For that, I can only credit Michael’s patience and thoroughness.
Getting to know him both inside and outside the lab, it was clear that Michael was a complex person who bore more than his share of personal pain. Sometimes, this made it difficult for others to get along with him. That I could not match his level of competence was sometimes frustrating to him. But even at the lowest points in our relationship, I always held great respect for Michael, as I believe did many others.
Troubled as he sometimes was, I had enough faith in Michael’s resourcefulness to believe he would ultimately find his share of happiness. Now, I prefer to remember him doing the one thing that seemed to give him unmixed joy: playing his guitar.
Michael’s life was the science and art of sound. We are all the poorer that the music has stopped now.
I was a friend and colleague of Michael’s. I enjoyed his presence in my life, and socializing with him on our porch in the summertime. He was a fine scientist and teacher. He will be sorely missed.
Michael made invaluable contributions to our understanding of communication in humans and other animals and was well respected and admired by those who knew him. His untimely death is mourned by many. My sincere sympathies to his family.
May we all find peace and grace in our remembrance of Michael.
I dearly miss his brilliance, integrity, wit, and genuine kindness. A true friend and mentor, his passing has left an irreplaceable void. May we all find some form of serenity in time.
Michael’s death is a true loss–his intellect and his musical talent alone brought a great deal to many people–and his impact on those around him will be long felt and deeply valued. I send my deepest sympathies to Michael’s family and those others closest to him.
In my memories, Michael will always be brimming with ideas and hope. He was a great teacher and in so many ways a brilliant and determined researcher. I hope that peace can be with his friends and family.
Brilliant researcher. Excellent Lecturer and Teacher. Mentor. Music lover and A capella aficionado. Michael was all of these things and more. But to me, he will always be the faculty member we 1st year Cornell grads wanted to hang out with, learn from, and be like. RIP, Michael. Thanks for being an important part of my life.
When I think of Michael, I am re-inspired by his wisdom, sincerity, deep intelligence, and compassion. What a role model he was for me as a fledgling student, and for so many others. I miss him, and remember him with great fondness and gratitude.
Why, Michael?
Michael — It’s been 9 years since you decided to leave the drama of this mortal stage.
I miss our conversations, both personal and theoretical, and also your wry smile.
You were good company.
. Today I made a list of everyone I knew who ended their own life long before The Reaper demanded it of them. Not a single one let slip any hint nor clue of their decision — not a one, and for this I am baffled. Shouldn’t a suicide bemoan their pain and suffering long before the final act? How could they hide their pain so completely from those who befriended and cared for them?
. I know that your repeated failures to gain academic tenure weighed heavily on you, and may have been a critical trigger in your decision to leave. And persistent endogenous depression is a heavy burden. But know that your published research continues to be widely read and cited. I am impressed by your legacy.
. You are sorely missed.
As one of Michael’s graduate advisees, I came to know him quite well during my years at Cornell. Professionally, Michael was one of those rare scholars who combined great practical meticulousness with impressive breadth of mind. Whether it was working out some small technical problem with an experiment or exploring the broad shores of theory, he was equally at home. These are not qualities always found together in the same person.
He was a conscientious teacher, always working hard to make sometimes arcane details understandable. When I first met him I was a complete novice in acoustical analysis and communication theory. Under his expert guidance, I rapidly reached the point where I could not only grasp the fundamentals of these difficult fields, but make original (if modest) contributions to them. For that, I can only credit Michael’s patience and thoroughness.
Getting to know him both inside and outside the lab, it was clear that Michael was a complex person who bore more than his share of personal pain. Sometimes, this made it difficult for others to get along with him. That I could not match his level of competence was sometimes frustrating to him. But even at the lowest points in our relationship, I always held great respect for Michael, as I believe did many others.
Troubled as he sometimes was, I had enough faith in Michael’s resourcefulness to believe he would ultimately find his share of happiness. Now, I prefer to remember him doing the one thing that seemed to give him unmixed joy: playing his guitar.
Michael’s life was the science and art of sound. We are all the poorer that the music has stopped now.