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BIOLOGY WITHOUT BEA SNOW? The end of the academic
year at Suffolk University sometimes brings the retirement of a long-time faculty member. This year, the College lost a veritable institution in Bea Snow, professor of biology and, for the last 20 years, chair of the biology department. “She was the best boss I ever had and an amazing woman,” says Vicki CroceFord, Snow’s longtime assistant. “She taught, she listened, she supported. She gave people the respect that she tried to earn in others.” Snow has been a College faculty member since 1965, arriving with her doctorate degree from the University of New Hampshire. But Snow, a member of the class of 1962, hardly needed a new faculty orientation. In her 44-year tenure in the biology department, Snow earned a welldeserved reputation for supporting students who major in biology. Her interest in real-world biological research led to her becoming one of the founding faculty members of the Robert Friedman Field Station in 1968, and four decades later she is the outgoing director of this valuable resource. Located on the coast in Edmunds, Maine, not far from the US-Canada border, the Friedman Field Station was named for the former biology department chair who donated the 40-acre site that has provided a place for faculty research and student exploration of marine biology. Snow’s legacy also continues through her former students. Several of her department’s alumni have returned as teachers, including Friedman Field Station director Carl Merrill BS ’80 and Adjunct Professor Mary O’Donnell BS ’85. “We referred to her as ‘Ma’ because she demonstrated so much concern for her students,” says Merrill. “She was stern and demanding, but she helped prepare so many of us for our future lives and careers.” Each year, Snow knew every biology major in her department. And her concern for students extended beyond the science majors to encompass all Suffolk students, as she served for over 20 years on the Academic Standing Committee. “She always stayed on the Academic Standing Committee because she felt it was where she could help students’ lives the most,” says Assistant Dean Sharon Lenzie. Similarly, her passion for science extended beyond the Boston campus. She contributed to Suffolk’s international programs when she developed the natural science program at the University’s Madrid Campus. Outside of Suffolk, she held the position of permanent secretary at the Eastern New England Biological Conference for 30 years. Snow’s academic interests were not limited to the natural sciences; she earned a master of divinity degree in 1995 from the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Her professional achievements and contributions to campus life were recognized in September 2009 with a University Heritage Medallion Award. In retirement, Snow plans to travel and just relax. She may also take the lead from other retired College professors and return to teach a course occasionally. As she is fond of saying at the end of a semester, “maybe we’ll see you next year.”
www.suffolk.edu SUFFOLKARTS+SCIENCES//2010
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