Professor Edward "Ted" Shuster '81 Killed by Alleged Drunk Driver

Edward "Ted" Shuster, research associate professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, was struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver on Sept. 16, 2004 near his home in Greenwich, New York.

"The Rensselaer community is deeply saddened by the death of Professor Shuster," President Shirley Ann Jackson said. "His teaching skills were evident in the enthusiasm of his students and his contributions to Rensselaer evident by the admiration of his colleagues. Professor Shuster's research on the Hudson River will benefit all who live along its shores and share concerns about its future. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."

Shuster was an expert on Hudson Basin hydrology. He studied flow, suspended particle transport and deposition, and dissolved organic carbon dynamics in the main stem and major tributaries of the Hudson River. His expertise was directly relevant to the transport and fate of particle-associated contaminants including PCBs and trace metals.

Shuster played a vital role in the ongoing Riverscope project designed to enhance monitoring and observation of the Hudson River's physical, chemical, and biological systems. The goal of the project is to create a networked infrastructure of instrumented sites along the river that will record data continuously and provide real time access for use by a diverse community of scientists, educators, regulators, and the general public.

Shuster taught graduate and undergraduate students through Rensselaer's Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. His courses included hydrogeology, sedimentology, and environmental geology. His enthusiasm for research on the Hudson and his understanding of its complex nature was best displayed in One Mile of the Hudson, a course that he team-taught with his friend and colleague Richard Bopp, associate professor of earth and environmental sciences.

Shuster received a B.S. in geology from Rensselaer in 1981, an M.S. in geology from Pennsylvania State University in 1990, and a Ph.D. in geology from Rensselaer in 1994.

Shuster is survived by his mother, five siblings, relatives, and many friends. His father, William Shuster '39, served Rensselaer for more than 40 years as associate professor, professor, chairman of bio-environmental engineering, and director of the environmental Engineering Program, which he helped to establish.

Visit the memorial Web page for Edward "Ted" L. Shuster at http://ees2.geo.rpi.edu/ted/.