Siembieda, William

English

DigitalCommons@CalPoly

W. David ConnProfessor, City and Regional Planning 1947 - 2017Learning from a Learned Colleague: Reflections on W. David ConnĂǀŝĚĞŶŐĂŐĞĚǁŝƚŚƚŚĞǁŽƌůĚďǇĂƐŬŝŶŐƚǁŽƋƵĞƐƟŽŶƐ͘&ŝƌƐƚ͕ǁŚĂƚŝƐůŝĨĞĂƐŬŝŶŐŽĨŵĞ͕ĂŶĚƐĞĐŽŶĚ͕ŚŽǁĐĂŶ/ŵĂƚĐŚŵǇƚĂůĞŶƚƐǁŝƚŚŽŶĞŽĨƚŚĞǁŽƌůĚ Ɛ͛ŵĂŶǇŶĞĞĚƐ͍ůůŽĨƵƐŶĞĞĚƚŽƐƉĞŶĚĂĨĞǁŵŝŶƵƚĞƐĂŶƐǁĞƌŝŶŐĂǀŝĚ Ɛ͛ƋƵĞƐƟŽŶƐ͘ĂǀŝĚŽŶŶ͕ĂǁŽŶĚĞƌĨƵůŝƚǇĂŶĚZĞŐŝŽŶĂůWůĂŶŶŝŶŐƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŽƌ͕ ĂŬŝŶĚƐŽƵů͕ĂŶĚĂĐŚĂŵƉŝŽŶĨŽƌŵĂŬŝŶŐĂůWŽůǇĂďĞƚƚĞƌƵŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚǇƐƵĚĚĞŶůǇƉĂƐƐĞĚĂǁĂǇŽŶdƵĞƐĚĂǇ͕ DĂƌĐŚϴ͕ϮϬϭ7͘ĂǀŝĚ͛ƐĞĂƌůǇĐĂƌĞĞƌǁĂƐ͕ŝŶŚŝƐǁŽƌĚƐ͕ĂƐĂŶ͞ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝƐƚͬƉůĂŶŶĞƌ͟ĐŽŶĐĞƌŶĞĚǁŝƚŚŚĂǌĂƌĚŽƵƐŵĂƚĞƌŝĂůƐƉŽůŝĐǇ͘ĂǀŝĚĂƐŬĞĚƵƐĂůŽƚŽĨƋƵĞƐƟŽŶƐ͘EŽƚƚŚĂƚŚĞŶĞĞĚĞĚƚŽ͕ďƵƚďĞĐĂƵƐĞŚĞǁĂŶƚĞĚƚŽŵĂŬĞƐƵƌĞƚŚĞƌŝŐŚƚƋƵĞƐƟŽŶƐǁĞƌĞďĞŝŶŐĂƐŬĞĚŝŶŽƌĚĞƌƚŽŐĞƚĂƉƌŽƉĞƌŝŶƚĞƌƉƌĞƚĂƟŽŶŽĨƚŚĞĂŶƐǁĞƌƐ͘,ĞƐĂǁ͞ŐĂƉƐ͟ďĞƚǁĞĞŶĐŽŶǀĞƌƐĂƟŽŶƐ͘&ŽƌĞǆĂŵƉůĞ͕ƐĐŝĞŶƟƐƚƐǁĞƌĞŶŽƚƉƌŽĚƵĐŝŶŐŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶƉŽůŝĐǇŵĂŬĞƌƐŶĞĞĚĞĚ͘dŚĞƌŝŐŚƚƉĞŽƉůĞǁĞƌĞŶŽƚďĞŝŶŐĂƐŬĞĚƚŚĞŝƌŽƉŝŶŝŽŶƐ͕ŽƌĨŽƌƚŚĞƉƌŽƉĞƌƵƐĞŽĨƚŚĞŝƌĞǆƉĞƌƟƐĞ͘WŽƐƐŝďůǇ͕ ƚŚĞƌĞǁĂƐƐŝŵƉůǇĂŶĞĞĚƚŽŚĂǀĞƉĞŽƉůĞƚĂůŬƚŽĞĂĐŚŽƚŚĞƌŵŽƌĞĂŶĚďƵŝůĚŵƵƚƵĂůƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ͘&ĂŝƌŶĞƐƐ͕ĞƚŚŝĐĂů͕ĂŶĚƌĂƟŽŶĂůƚŚŝŶŬŝŶŐǁĞƌĞƚŽŽůƐĂǀŝĚĂůǁĂǇƐƵƐĞĚŝŶƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚĞŶĚĞĂǀŽƌƐ͕ƚĞĂĐŚŝŶŐ͕ĂŶĚŝŶƚĞƌƉĞƌƐŽŶĂůƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐ͘ůůŽĨƵƐǁŚŽǁŽƌŬĞĚǁŝƚŚŚŝŵůĞĂƌŶĞĚĂďŝƚĂďŽƵƚďĞŝŶŐďĞƩĞƌƉĞŽƉůĞďǇŽďƐĞƌǀŝŶŐŚŽǁŚĞƵƐĞĚƚŚĞƐĞƚŽŽůƐ͘tĞŶŽǁƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚƚŚĂƚŚŝƐĐƵƌƌĞŶƚǁŽƌŬŽŶĚŝǀĞƌƐŝƚǇĂŶĚŝŶƚĞƌŐƌŽƵƉĚŝĂůŽŐƵĞƐŝƐĂŶĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶŽĨŚŝƐĞĂƌůŝĞƌĐŽŶĐĞƌŶƐǁŝƚŚ͞ƚŚĞŐĂƉƐ͟ĂŶĚŚŽǁƚŽĮůůƚŚĞŵ͘>ŝĨĞǁĂƐĂƐŬŝŶŐŚŝŵƚŽŚĞůƉ͞ĐůŽƐĞƚŚĞŐĂƉƐ͟ĂŶĚƚŽůĞĂƌŶƚŽůŝƐƚĞŶĨŽƌƚŚĞŝŶƚĞƌƉƌĞƚĂƟŽŶŽĨŽƚŚĞƌƐ͘,ŝƐƌĞĐĞŶƚǁŽƌŬƌĞŇĞĐƚĞĚĂŵŽƌĞŶƵĂŶĐĞĚĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚƚŽĐůŽƐŝŶŐƚŚĞŐĂƉƐ͟ďǇĨŽƐƚĞƌŝŶŐŝŶƚĞƌŐƌŽƵƉĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƟŽŶƚŽůĞĂĚƐƚŽƉĞƌƐŽŶĂůĂŶĚƐŽĐŝĂůƌĞƐƉŽŶƐŝďŝůŝƚǇƚŽǁĂƌĚŐƌĞĂƚĞƌƐŽĐŝĂůũƵƐƟĐĞ͘/Ŷ<ĞŶdŽƉƉŝŶŐ Ɛ͛ǁŽƌĚƐ͞ĂǀŝĚǁĂƐĞŶƚŚƵƐŝĂƐƟĐĂůůǇŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚĞĚŝŶŵĂŬŝŶŐƚŚĞǁŽƌůĚĂďĞƩĞƌƉůĂĐĞ͘͟,ĞĂůǁĂǇƐƐƉŽŬĞĨƌŽŵƚŚĞŚĞĂƌƚĂŶĚƉŽƐƐĞƐƐĞĚĂŬĞĞŶǁŝƚƚŚĂƚŵĂĚĞĞĂĐŚĐŽŶǀĞƌƐŝŽŶǁŝƚŚŚŝŵ͕ĂƉůĞĂƐ-ĂŶƚĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ͘ĂǀŝĚƐƉĞŶƚĂŵŽƌĞƚŚĂŶĂĚĞĐĂĚĞĂƐĂůWŽůǇ Ɛ͛sŝĐĞWƌŽǀŽƐƚĨŽƌĐĂĚĞŵŝĐWƌŽŐƌĂŵƐĂŶĚhŶĚĞƌŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͕ǁŚĞƌĞŚĞƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĚƚŚĞǀŝƐŝŽŶĂŶĚƚŚĞůĞĂĚĞƌƐŚŝƉƚŚĂƚŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚƵŶĚĞƌŐƌĂĚƵ-ĂƚĞĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͘,ĞĐůŽƐĞĚŚŝƐĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƟǀĞĐĂƌĞĞƌĂƚĂůWŽůǇĂƐsŝĐĞWƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƚĨŽƌ/ŶƐƟƚƵƟŽŶĂůZĞǀŝĞǁ͘<ŶŽǁŝŶŐƚŚĂƚƌĞĂůŬŶŽǁůĞĚŐĞƚĂŬĞƐŬŶŽǁŝŶŐĂďŽƵƚƚŚĞǁŽƌůĚĨƌŽŵŵĂŶǇƉĞƌƐƉĞĐƟǀĞƐŚĞŝŶǀĞƐƚĞĚŝŶŝŶƚĞƌĚŝƐĐŝƉůŝŶĂƌǇĐŽƵƌƐĞƐƐƵĐŚĂƐƚŚĞhE/sƐĞƌŝĞƐĂŶĚƚŚĞ,ŽŶŽƌƐWƌŽŐƌĂŵƚŚĂƚůĞĚƚŽŚŝŵďĞŝŶŐŚŽŶŽƌĞĚfor ͞extraordinary contributions to student success.͟  Due to David’s vision and support, City and Ze-gional Planning was able to oīer CZP ϯϯϯ Disaster-Zesistant Sustainable Communities under the UNIV program. As a professor of City and Zegional Planning, he taught environmental planning and research methods. David advocated, in word and deed, for a more inclusive society where people gained by sharing experiences with each other. This led to a pioneering new course with the Psychology Depart-ment entitled Intergroup Dialogues, which is now part of his legacy. ,emalata Dandekar, CZP professor, puts it this way ͞David was just a good human being, and smart.͟  One knew it in every interaction with him.  That was always a consideration with David, to live a ͞balanced͟ life between work, personal endeavors, and family. All were ever important to him. David grew up in England. ,e met his wife, :udith, when he was ϭϱ years old, and they remained devoted to one another until the day he died. David treated EVEZzONE as his eƋual, and he had no ego and no arrogance. ,e did not think of himself as ͞beƩer͟ than others just because of his higher education.  In his mind, the janitor was due as much respect as the President of Cal Poly ;he cared about the underdogͿ.  ,e always found something to laugh about, and this made other people happier.  The respect that people express about David tells us that he did find ways to match his talents with some of the world’s many needs. efore coming to Cal Poly, David taught at Virginia Tech and UCLA. ,e shared his experiences with all who needed his time and wisdom. ,e is missed. William Siembieda PhD.; Professor and former CRP Department Head. 

Eulogy for W. David Conn

https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1380&amp;context=focus

Eulogy for W. David Conn

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