Former professor Alan Baharlou sometimes cries when he visits Eastern’s campus.

After all, he was one of the ones who expanded the technology use on campus.

One night in 1995, Baharlou said he stayed with two students until 1 a.m. to figure out a way to make technology available to students.

They asked the Student Senate the following Wednesday for a $25 yearly fee for a student technology to make computer labs available. He said they made a $28.50 fee instead because he gave such a good presentation.

“When I come back and see all the computer labs (and) all the audio visuals in the classroom, I sometimes cry,” Baharlou said.

Upon Baharlou’s retirement in 2005, Eastern dedicated a garden to him by the University Lake.

The garden includes three bald cypress trees and a concrete plaque and bench in his honor.

Baharlou now serves as president of Eastern’s Annuitants, an organization he’s been a part of since 2004. William Zeigle created the Annuitants in 1971 at Eastern.

On January 18th, Baharlou gave the Board of Trustees a report of what the Annuitants did last year, which included creating a new scholarship.

One of the largest jobs the annuitants do is lobby and recruit for Eastern, Baharlou said.

“President Perry often says ‘we are here to honor the past (and) build the future,'” he said. “We are that past.”

Baharlou came to Eastern in 1980 to be the department chair of the geology department, which he served as until he retired.

John Stimac, current geology department chair, said he had “huge shoes to fill” when he took over for Baharlou.

“He knew everyone on campus and who to talk to when you wanted something done,” he said.

Stimac added Baharlou built a history with people and could get things done based on his good name.

When it came to the classroom, Baharlou compared teaching to running a race, saying he had to put out his best every time he taught.

According to Baharlou, when parents came for orientation, he assured mothers their children would be taken care of.

“I told them ‘when you leave behind the most precious thing you have, I become a father. I become a grandfather. I become an uncle,'” he said.

Baharlou said a professor has to be a complete person, with compassion, tolerance and understanding. He said it is important to understand that students have tragic situations that may affect their academics.

Baharlou said he had bad or uncompassionate teachers just like any other student, but it was a good experience because he learned from it. He said in spite of and because of that, he succeeded.

Stimac said Baharlou taught him to keep an open mind.

“Every individual is correct, and it’s just what they perceive and where they’re coming from,” Stimac said.

Dale Wolf, vice president of the Annuitants, said Baharlou is a tireless worker.

“He is and has always been a most happy individual with a good word to say about everyone he deals with,” Wolf said.

Baharlou said one of the most important things in his academic life has been the people who have helped him, such as his wife and professors.

After coming to the United States in 1960 from Persia, he attended the University of Michigan and then went on to get his master’s degree at the University of Oklahoma and his doctorate at the University of Tulsa.

While at the University of Oklahoma, he met his wife, without whom he would not have had all his accomplishments, he said.

Baharlou had many accomplishments including being Eastern’s Professor Laureate for the academic year 1999-2000, 2003 Illinois Board of Higher Education Student Advisory Board Outstanding Faculty among 12 Illinois public universities, Ringenberg Award, which is the highest honor the College of Sciences bestows on its faculty, and he was named The Daily Eastern News person of the year in 2005.

Baharlou said his greatest honor cannot be put into any award, but it is the how his profession affects people.

“The buildings even collapse, but the things you to that affect the lives of people is forever because they pass it on to the next generation. I believe this is the greatest reward anyone can have,” he said.

Sara Cuadrado can be reached at 581-7942 or at slcuadrado@eiu.edu.

Retired professor Dr. Alan Baharlou is president of the Annuitants which give their imput to the Board of Trustees on issues regarding Eastern. (John Bailey / The Daily Eastern News)

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