It is with deep sadness that we share the news that our dear colleague and friend, Robert “Bob” Sweeney, CET Assistant Director of STEM Faculty Development, passed away Monday night. Like you, we are trying to process this unexpected loss.
Bob truly loved his work, and he genuinely loved working with all of you. You saw first hand the joy he took in his work. His passion for research-led pedagogy was evident in everything he did. Bob cared about faculty, and was singularly focused on helping them reach their teaching goals. He took particular joy in working with future faculty, excited by their commitment to becoming excellent teachers. He enjoyed collaborating with campus partners to develop greater support structures for teaching. Helping others, and contributing to a culture of teaching excellence, made Bob happy.
Bob was an invaluable CET team leader in STEM faculty development. He had a Ph.D. in Chemistry from CalTech, and was a physical chemist by training. Bob’s love of teaching science led him to complete a master's degree in instructional design at Purdue. His desire to share his passion for teaching and learning is what brought him to USC. During Bob’s 7-year tenure at USC, he worked first at the Center for Creative Technology, and then joined the Center for Excellence in Teaching.
His passion, along with his scientist's mindset and training, gave him the rare ability to inspire change by making it legitimate, practical, and useful, using the language of STEM. He made faculty feel comfortable, and helped them see pathways to their teaching goals. Bob has had tremendous impact at USC, especially through his contributions to USC’s Teaching Excellence Initiative. He provided consultation to the faculty committee that developed USC’s Definition of Excellence in Teaching. He developed resources on peer evaluation to assist schools in developing their teaching excellence plans. He developed and implemented written and video resources, as well as training institutes and workshops, to support faculty in teaching excellence. He consulted with many programs as they developed or revised curricula. He taught as an adjunct faculty member in the Price School. And, of course, he leapt into action during the COVID remote teaching period to provide the knowledge and skills faculty needed to effectively move their courses online. Bob has helped hundreds of faculty and future faculty. His tireless work has helped to change the way we view teaching at USC.
The work is only part of Bob’s story, though. As a colleague and as a friend, he was a gift. He was committed to fostering success in his CET colleagues, and was a constant source of support for us. Despite his many accomplishments, he was a model of humility, continually reflecting on his own growth as a person and professional. He was deeply respected within CET, and by faculty and staff who worked with him. We will miss Bob's playful humor, his curiosity, and excitement in sharing new things. We will miss his steady nature, and uncrushable “can-do” attitude. But most of all, we will miss the comfort of knowing Bob is there when we need him.
Bob is survived by his husband, Joseph Sweeney, his two sons and daughters-in-law, Connor & Miriam and Pip & Jennifer, his granddaughter Juniper Mae, and his sisters, Theresa and Patricia. He will also be missed by his two adoring cats, Pounce deLeon and Esmeralda. Condolences may be sent to Bob and Joe’s home at 1626 Waltham Road, Columbus, OH 43221.
Details about honoring Bob’s life here at USC will be shared at a later date. If you wish to be notified, please add your email address to this form.
