The Chemistry of Legacy

The Bergmarks in Perugia.

The Bergmarks in Perugia.

Bergmark (left) and Vogel at Commencement in 1976 or 1977.

Professor emeritus Glenn Vogel looks back on the department's earlier era as both collegial and irreverent. "It was a fun group of chemistry professors-friends and fun and jokes," he said. Bergmark was central to that mix: deeply knowledgeable, quietly witty, and devoted to his students.

"He'd pack a lot into a class," Vogel said. "Students would sit there in the lectures and think it's not like he did a whole lot, and then they went back and looked at their notes, and they said, 'Wow, he just packed all that in one lecture.'"

Mike Haaf '94, now a professor in that department, was one of those students. "After Glenn roped me into the chemistry major, it was really Bill Bergmark's class that turned the corner for me," Haaf said. "I just loved it. I loved his teaching style. He had a very dry sense of humor and would catch us off guard with some of his anecdotes."

Bergmark's approach blended clarity and storytelling. "He was a natural storyteller," Haaf said. "Instead of just teaching us how carbon double bonds undergo reactions, he made a point of connecting them to biology and saying, 'You know, vision is based on reactions of double bonds.' He made it real."

After taking his class, Haaf joined Bergmark's research lab, which focused on photo-induced electron transfer chemistry-reactions activated by light. "Thanks to him, I got to go to my first national conference and presented at a regional conference," Haaf said. "He's a big reason why I'm back in Ithaca doing what he did."

Vogel, laughing, put it more directly to Haaf: "You took his job."

The Bergmarks enjoying good wine.

Those who knew Bill and his wife, Donna, recall a couple who carried the same curiosity and joy beyond the classroom. They skied, traveled widely, and were fixtures at concerts and plays. "Donna was a better skier," Vogel said. "She was more daring."

In their early days at the college, Bill, who held a pilot's license, would fly with Glenn to visit high schools to recruit students for the chemistry department. The Bergmarks and Vogels traveled extensively together, enjoying food, wine, and scenery. On these trips Bill would hold forth on classical composers. "He knew everything about classical music, from the Baroque up until the 20th century," Vogel said. "Unbelievable details."

Haaf remembered learning more than chemistry from him. "He also taught me how to cross-country ski for the first time," he said. "That was very much the department culture."

Bergmark's scholarship fund now mirrors that ethos, supporting students who combine intellectual rigor with curiosity about the wider world.

Bergmark (at left) with students.

Mike Meador '78 began working in Bergmark's lab as a first-year student and stayed for four years. "Bill was a very patient guy," Meador said. "The project I was working on-I had absolutely no prior background in doing organic synthesis, and it was a tricky molecule to make. He taught me a lot. I think that's the biggest thing I got from Bill-learning how to do research."

That foundation carried Meador through a 36-year career with NASA and the federal government, including a two-year detail (2014-16) at the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy as director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office.

"When I went to Michigan State for grad school, the lab was not strange to me," he said. "It was a welcoming place because I had worked for Bill Bergmark for four years. He was a great teacher."

Bergmark's influence extended well beyond academics. Meador recalled lunches where they discussed graduate school options and career paths. "He was a good teacher, a good mentor, and a good friend," he said.

That sense of mentorship continues to shape the department's culture.

Rishabh Sen '26, recipient of the Bill and Donna Bergmark Scholarship, in the lab. (Photo by Adam Baker)

In the summer of 2024, Sen worked at the University of Minnesota in the lab of Professor William Pomerantz '02, one of Bergmark's former students. The connection was immediate.

"I was actually working in an IC alum's lab, which I think is pretty cool," Sen said. "He is now a full professor at the University of Minnesota, and I just fell in love with the research there and decided to bring it back to Ithaca College."

With Haaf's support, Sen continued that collaboration on South Hill, investigating small molecule therapeutics designed to selectively degrade proteins implicated in neuroblastoma cancer. "It really speaks to my love of both biology and synthetic chemistry," Sen said. "It speaks to my love for translational science."

That opportunity-to extend undergraduate research into advanced, real-world science-is exactly what Bergmark envisioned. "He cared deeply about the undergraduate experience and wanted to inspire the next generation of scientists," Haaf said. "You're not just learning chemistry. You're learning how to be a chemist."

The Bergmark Scholarship also illustrates another truth about Ithaca College: that philanthropy here takes many forms.

"Philanthropy can be as individual as the people who give," said Laine Norton, vice president for advancement at Ithaca College. "Like Bill and Donna, you can shape your legacy around what you love-your discipline, your passions, your community. Gifts of every size and kind make a lasting difference in the lives of our students."

Valerie Ross '84, now a physician who received her medical degree from Johns Hopkins, remembers Bergmark as "quiet but with a wry sense of humor." His lectures, she said, were clear and logical, his labs fun, and his support constant. "He was enthusiastic, and his love for science rubbed off on us ... He was a big part of the reason I loved Ithaca College."

For Sen, that legacy is still tangible. "I can interact on the daily with my professors, not just as faculty members but as mentors," he said. "It really shows me how special a place Dr. Bergmark helped create."

The Bergmark Scholarship sustains that spark: in the rigor students learn, the mentors they become, and the discoveries they will claim as their own.

Your generosity-of any size or kind-fuels the curiosity and mentorship that define Ithaca College. Find the form of giving that fits your passions.

At Ithaca College, you'll collaborate with professors who know your name and open doors to real-world research and discovery throughout your journey.

Learn more about the Department of Chemistry at the School of Humanities and Sciences.