A memorial service and planetarium show at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1, will honor longtime planetarium director Scott Roby, who passed away recently (see campus announcement below).
Students, faculty, staff and others are invited to share remarks of their memories of Roby and his impact on their lives and studies. A brief planetarium show also will take place. The planetarium is located in 223 Shineman Center.
If not able to attend, you can access the memorial service via Zoom.
For more information on this service and show, email shashi.kanbur@oswego.edu.
In Memoriam: Scott Roby – sent via all-campus email on Nov. 22
It is with sadness that I share news of the passing of physics faculty member Dr. Scott Roby, our longtime planetarium director and fixture in our physics and astronomy programs.
A three-time NASA fellow, Scott joined SUNY Oswego in 1987 with a love of astronomy. His passion for space and discovery immediately made an impact on our astronomy program and offerings. In 2001, he became director of the former Charles H. Jerred Planetarium in what was then Piez Hall. Scott introduced weekly free public shows in 2006. As someone who enjoyed the shows, I can attest to how popular they were with fans of all ages.
These shows have remained popular with the campus and community, in some cases drawing so much interest this fall that a second show was added to accommodate all who wanted to experience these wonderful presentations. Scott also shepherded the process of establishing a new state-of-the-art planetarium when the Shineman Center opened in 2013, offering full-dome views and greatly enhanced technology.
While Scott officially retired from his full-time role in May 2022, he remained happily involved with the planetarium and the students who learned in that space by teaching an internship course and continuing to mentor the next generation of astronomers.
Physics professor and longtime colleague Dr. Shashi Kanbur noted that Scott made sure to attend the Astronomy 390 final planetarium show on Friday night, because he wanted to be there for his students who were presenting. He noted that Scott had been in the hospital earlier in the week but was pleased to watch the Artemis launch, marking the return of U.S. moon missions.
“He attended that show, made the initial announcements and commented on all the student talks,” Shashi said. “The Planetarium was and always will be Scott's and it was very fitting that he was there doing what he loved on Friday evening. He worked selflessly for SUNY Oswego, the department and his students for many years. He will be greatly missed.”
Scott earned his Ph.D. and master’s degree, both in astronomy, from the University of Texas at Austin, and his bachelor’s in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Any information on arrangements will be shared with the campus when received.
Scott went from growing up fascinated with the space race to building a life and legacy that reflected his passion, which he has shared, along with his tremendous knowledge, with students, faculty, staff and the community.
With Sympathy,
Mary C. Toale, Ed.D.
Officer in Charge