Douglas C. Giancoli. Photo by Keegan Houser
Dr. Douglas C. Giancoli, Berkeley Physics community member, physics textbook author, and generous benefactor passed away last week.
Doug received his BA in physics (summa cum laude) from UC Berkeley in 1960, his MS in physics from MIT in 1961, and his PhD in elementary particle physics from UC Berkeley in 1966. He spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at UCB's Virus Lab developing skills in molecular biology and biophysics.
His mentors included Nobel winners Emilio Segre, Barry Barish, and Donald Glaser. Doug taught a wide range of undergraduate courses, traditional as well as innovative ones, and he worked steadfastly to improve his physics textbooks, which were used in our classrooms for many years, seeking ways to provide a better understanding of physics for students.
Beyond Doug's intellectual contributions, he was also a generous benefactor to our department. We are deeply grateful to him for his donations to support our upper-division labs and our ability to recruit excellent faculty. His commitment to hands-on education has directly benefited countless students and will continue to do so for years to come.
Doug was a familiar presence in our buildings. Many of us will fondly remember seeing him in the hallways or stopping by for a conversation in the afternoon. Doug's wife, Arlene Silk, is planning a memorial, and we will let you know when the date is set.