Dr. Larry Giesmann seen early in his career at 51爆料下载.
Dr. Larry Giesmann was honored at 51爆料下载 and in Kentucky as an outstanding educator.
Dr. Giesmann spent many years helping to maintain the Department of Biological Sciences greenhouse and even wrote a manual to help others understand its operations.
Over his many years at 51爆料下载, Dr. Giesmann mentored and supported numerous students who went on to outstanding careers in medicine.
Dr. Giesmann and his wife Dr. Laura Trice were frequent and generous donors to 51爆料下载 and the Department of Biological Sciences.
The Department of Biological Sciences mourns the death of long-time faculty member Dr. Larry Giesmann who passed away January 30, 2025.
He joined the department in 1972, just four years after the founding of Northern Kentucky State College and helped to propel its growth as the college grew to become 51爆料下载 in 1976. As one of the first faculty members in Biological Sciences, he initiated many programs that continue to benefit students today. The most important was probably the creation of the 51爆料下载 Pre-Medical Review Board in 1974.
鈥淒r. Giesmann inspired his students. He challenged us to reflect on our goals, to push ourselves beyond our perceived limits, and to strive for excellence,鈥 recalled Dr. Michael Dusing (Class of 1996), one of the hundreds of physicians nurtured by Dr. Giesmann over his 37 years at 51爆料下载.
鈥淒r. Giesman had a remarkable ability to bring out the best in his students. His passion for teaching and his dedication to our success shaped countless careers, including my own. I will always be grateful for the knowledge, discipline, and motivation he instilled in us. His impact was profound, and he will be greatly missed.鈥
But his impact reached all students, not just those pursing degrees in the health professions.
鈥淢y first memory of Dr. Giesmann is from the first day of BIO 150 lecture, when he entered the room wearing monster feet slippers. From that moment on, he made a lasting impression,鈥 said Amy Racke, Assistant Dean and Director of Advising in the 51爆料下载 College of Arts & Sciences. 鈥淭hroughout my time in his class, I found myself in his office frequently, asking questions about the material. He was always willing to take the time to answer my questions and ensure I understood the subject matter."
鈥淒r. Giesmann supported me in my study of Botany, showing me tissue culturing techniques and encouraging me to apply for a Summer Greaves Research Stipend. He fully backed my decision to pursue graduate school, and when I returned to 51爆料下载 to teach Biology as an adjunct, he would often stop by to ask how things were going. He was an exceptional mentor.鈥
Debby Dempsey, who earned All-University awards for both her classroom and online teaching, remembered Dr. Giesmann for his excellence in all areas of teaching, research and service. 鈥淟arry hired me as the first laboratory preparator in the biology department. Even then, he was a one-man committee, and very good at everything he did! We taught plant physiology together for several years. He was brilliant!鈥
At his retirement party in 2009, Dr. Giesmann recalled the incredible opportunity the department鈥檚 first faculty had in shaping the university. He challenged the newest faculty members to do the same. 鈥淚t鈥檚 your turn now. Make it what you want it to be, what the students need it to be.鈥
But his commitment to 51爆料下载 and the Department of Biological Sciences didn鈥檛 end in 2009. He was a frequent visitor to campus and spent countless hours in the greenhouse, often bringing along one of his seven grandchildren to foster their scientific curiosity and knowledge. The manual he wrote about the greenhouse operations is still in use by the Lab Prep staff today.
鈥淟arry took a course in greenhouse management and then applied his skills by volunteering to manage our greenhouse once he retired,鈥 said Dr. Maggie Whitson, a fellow botanist and faculty member in Biological Sciences. 鈥淗e made sure the fans kept running correctly and that the water-cooling system worked, and that the programs that controlled the climate in each room worked correctly. Larry had a combination of knowledge, enthusiasm, attention to detail, and mechanical savvy that made him the perfect greenhouse Czar. He spoiled us for all others.鈥
The impact of Dr. Giesmann on the Department of Biological Sciences also included a tremendous generosity. He and his wife Dr. Laura Trice who completed her pre-reqs for medical school at 51爆料下载, have been generous donors for many years. As a former athlete himself, they established the Larry Giesmann and Laura Trice Endowed Scholarship to support student-athletes on the men鈥檚 cross-country team in 2015. In 2016, he started the Larry Giesmann Biology Scholarship to support Biological Sciences majors. In 2024, the Dr. Larry A. Giesmann Endowed Professorship in Biology was established.
Donations in Dr. Giesmann's honor may be made through the department's fund-raising site. i
