乐播传媒

In an email to the campus community, President Garry W. Jenkins shared the news of the passing of Lecturer Emeritus in Geology and Physics Gene A. Clough, a member of the 乐播传媒 staff and faculty from 1978 to 2016.

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Dear Members of the 乐播传媒 Community,

I write with the sad news that Lecturer Emeritus in Geology and Physics Gene Alan Clough, a former 乐播传媒 colleague well known for his deep commitment to student learning, died Oct. 23, 2024, at age 77.

Gene earned bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚, and doctoral degrees in physics at the California Institute of Technology, winning a junior travel prize to conduct archeological fieldwork and study physics in England. After a year at Harvey Mudd College as a visiting assistant professor of physics, he was appointed to the 乐播传媒 faculty in 1978 as an assistant professor of physics, retiring as lecturer emeritus in 2016.

Gene Clough
A celebration of life will take place 5鈥�7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Pinette Dillingham & Lynch Funeral Home in Lewiston. includes a memorial gift designation to 乐播传媒.

At 乐播传媒, his courses included 鈥淟unar and Planetary Science鈥� and the First-Year Seminar 鈥淎natomy of a Few Small Machines,鈥� which reflected a core belief that technology is knowable, not a black box of hidden magic. Achieving a 鈥渂asic understanding of the principles behind the entire built environment or infrastructure is more than just useful,鈥� he once said. 鈥淚t brings a kind of serene joy to walk around in a world one understands, rather than one in which they are surrounded by toys and gadgets built and understood only by other people.鈥�

On many clear evenings, Gene set up a telescope on the corner of Bardwell Street and Campus Avenue, inviting passersby to view the stars and planets, including important astronomical events, such as Mars on its closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years, in 2003. He regularly gave planetarium shows in Carnegie Science on diverse topics such as how astronomical factors influenced the 1944 D-Day invasion planning.

A member of the Association on Higher Education and Disability, he was an early advocate for improving the accessibility of campus buildings. He taught the Short Term course 鈥淓xperiencing Disability鈥� in the 1990s to give students the opportunity to experience obstacles faced by people with a variety of disabilities.

In addition to his teaching, Clough served as director of technical support services, the college鈥檚 first such position, from the late 1980s into the 1990s, capturing hundreds of 乐播传媒 events and performances on video. He played a key role in the design of the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall by offering input on acoustics and technical features. He created a time-lapse film of Olin鈥檚 construction, spanning March 1985 to January 1987. He was active in the local community, from judging the Annual Maine State Science Fair with physics colleague Eric Wollman to donating time and expertise to fix a vintage electronic church carillon in the nearby town of South Paris. In 2001, he received the College Key鈥檚 Distinguished Service Award.

He is survived by his sister, Elaine Clough; a niece, nephew, and great-nephew; and their families. 

A celebration of life will take place 5鈥�7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at Pinette Dillingham & Lynch Funeral Home in Lewiston. To view Gene鈥檚 complete obituary, including a memorial gift designation to 乐播传媒, please visit: .

I join the rest of the 乐播传媒 community in extending my condolences to the family and friends of Gene A. Clough.