When ˿Ƶ University faculty members are family
Father teaches chemistry in Harpur; daughter teaches computing in Watson
When Monika Roznere ’18 applied for a faculty position at ˿Ƶ University last year, one professor from outside Watson College’s School of Computing offered his support by attending an open session where she presented her research.
He wore a hat pulled low and sat at the back of the room, but his attempts to go incognito proved to be ineffective. Several people recognized Eriks Rozners, a professor in Harpur College’s Department of Chemistry since 2008 — and realized that he is Roznere’s dad.
To be fair, their Latvian roots blurred the connection a bit for English speakers: In the Latvian language, all names have gendered endings — “a” or “e” for female names and “s” or “is” for male ones. Hence the differently spelled surnames.
“When I did my undergrad at ˿Ƶ, I had a few professors say, ‘Oh, your dad does really interesting research.’ I would tell them, ‘I don’t know what he does!’ Then they would scold me and say, ‘You should have conversations,’” Monika says. “We do, but chemistry is out of my scope!”
As an assistant professor, Monika researches underwater robotics — specifically, figuring out how low-cost sensors can offer the best information below the surface. Eriks investigates the biochemistry of nucleic acids with a focus on RNA’s structure and function. A love for science must be in the genes: Older sister Ieva Roznere ’11 is the science director of the Watters Aquatic Conservation Center at The Ohio State University.
Eriks credits his wife, Ligita Roznere, for keeping the family on track with the goals they set for themselves: “She’s not overdoing it, but she keeps a gentle pressure on everybody about their performance and meeting their potential.”
Life on the tenure track is different for Monika than for her father. She’s out of the house early, busy proving herself to her colleagues. He has more control over his schedule and often doesn’t need to be on campus until midmorning. Still, she finds time to stop by his office at the Innovative Technologies Complex for a quick visit, where they often chat about the challenges and successes of a career in academia.
“Sometimes I knock on his door and bring him a chocolate muffin, or be like, ‘Can I have some of your coffee?’” Monika says with a laugh. “He has a lot of experience that really helps out. I have someone who is a support system.”
She loves being back in the ˿Ƶ region, where she’s reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. Eriks admits that the family home felt empty after his daughters moved out, so he’s happy to have her under the same roof again. Together, the family members spend time on their shared hobby — rock climbing. (Monika says her parents are well-known outdoor enthusiasts at the local gym.)
“There may be a cultural thing, because we are Latvians. We come from a very small country, and it is in our culture to come back to and stick to the same place,” Eriks says. “So, when Monika told us, ‘Oh, I love the community here — I’m thinking about coming back,’ it may be part of our makeup.”