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Dec.
2 , 2002 |
Obituary: Edith Luchins
 Edith
Luchins, professor emeritus of mathematics, died Nov. 18. She
was 80.
Luchins, who served as professor of mathematical
sciences at Rensselaer from 1962 until 2002, was the first woman
to be appointed full professor at Rensselaer. She attained emeritus
status in 1992, but continued to be involved in research in the
math department.
"This is a loss to all of us," said
Les Rubenfeld, a longtime colleague of Luchins. "Edith was
a unique person, loved mathematics, and most important loved teaching
and the students she taught. In so many ways she was very much
ahead of her time. May she rest in peace knowing how many lives
she has positively affected."
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"This is a loss to all of us. Edith
was a unique person, loved mathematics, and most important
loved teaching and the students she taught. In so many ways
she was very much ahead of her time. May she rest in peace
knowing how many lives she has positively affected."
—Les Rubenfeld—
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Luchins established the Max Hirsch Prize in mathematics
in honor of her father. She spent countless hours advising pre-
and post-doctoral students. Among her many honors were the Rensselaer
Distinguished Teaching Award, the Darrin Counseling Award, the
Martin Luther King Jr. Award, and the Rensselaer Alumni Association
Outstanding Faculty Award. She was a distinguished visiting professor
of mathematics at the United States Military Academy in West Point
in 1991-1992. In July 1994 she was appointed adjunct professor
of cognitive sciences at the institute.
She received a B.A. from Brooklyn College in 1942,
an M.S. from New York University in 1944, and a Ph.D. from University
of Oregon in 1957. Luchins' research focused on mathematics and
psychology. She had worked on mathematical models of order effects
in information processing; on gender differences in cognitive
processes and their implications for teaching and learning mathematics;
and on the roles of heuristics and algorithms in mathematical
problem solving, with and without the use of computers. She was
also interested in the history of mathematics, and, in particular,
the history of women in mathematics.
She is survived by her husband, five children,
and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
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