COSHP MOURNS THE LOSS OF CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR DR. JOHN MASNOVI
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
Cleveland State University mourns the passing of John Masnovi, who died September 10.
Dr. Masnovi was a dedicated faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at CSU for 33 years. He received both his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry (1975) and master's degree in Organic Chemistry (1977) from Notre Dame University and his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry (1982) from the University of Chicago. He did a post-doctoral fellowship from 1982 to 1985 in the research group of Professor J.K. Kochi at Indiana University and at the University of Houston.
Dr. Masnovi joined the CSU faculty in 1985, teaching courses in Organic Chemistry at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He was promoted to associate professor in 1990 and professor in 1996. He was an active and productive scholar, publishing more than 80 peer-reviewed articles in prominent journals in the fields of organic, bioorganic, organometallic and electron transfer chemistry. Dr. Masnovi collaborated extensively with NASA Glenn Research Center, receiving $1.7 million in funding. He collaborated with colleagues within and outside the Department of Chemistry at CSU, including Dr. Harry Andrist of CSU; Dr. Aloysius Hepp of NASA and Nanotech Innovations; and Dr. Steven Schildcrout of Youngstown State University. Numerous graduate students received their doctorate degrees under Dr. Masnovi's mentoring.
Dr. Masnovi was a devoted family man, as husband to Julia, father to daughters Monica, Melissa and Michelle (who earned a master's degree in Chemistry from CSU) and grandfather to granddaughter Chloe. He was an avid horticulturist who gave loving care to a variety of plants at CSU and to his extensive garden at his home. He impressed his students and colleagues with his friendliness, helpfulness and humbleness, while being an outstanding scholar and mentor.
Dr. Masnovi will be greatly missed by his students, faculty colleagues and staff in the Department of Chemistry, as well as by all who knew him throughout the Cleveland State University community.