pOn August 30, 2016, David Lustick died in his home under hospice care in Nashua, New Hampshire. He was fifty-three. He is survived by his wife Doreen Lustick, Dakota, 22, Avalon, 21, and Troy, 18. Son of Renee Lustick and the late Bernard R. Lustick, he was born and raised in Watertown. /ppDavid was a proud and devoted father, husband, son, brother, uncle, and cousin. As the youngest of five siblings, he reveled in the festivities, relationships, and lore of the extended Lustick clan. He was cherished by his family and by his many friends, from every period of his life. Lustick was a passionate man who celebrated the joys of life through his talents and hobbies. He was a builder and a handy-man, an excellent cook, an enthusiastic Trekker, a prolific and talented song-writer, musician, and singer; a mechanic, who labored with love over cars, motorcycles, and outboard engines; a collector, of classic comics and miniature cars and trucks; and a skilled and renowned scientist with deep knowledge and undying curiosity about topics ranging from astronomy to evolution. Most importantly for him, he was a teacher. /ppWhile attending Cornell University as an undergraduate, Lustick met his soul mate and future wife, Doreen Marcks. After graduating from Cornell, he taught science in inner city schools in New York City, where he discovered how primitive the resources available for teaching science were. Lustick decided to continue his higher education by earning a Masters degree at Harvard University studying with Stephen J. Gould. Later on Lustick and his wife moved to Sao Paulo, Brazil where they both taught at the prestigious Graded American School. There he established “Zombie Zoo,” an ambitious and enormously successful program to encourage student creativity in all areas of musical and artistic performance. During their eight years in Brazil, Lustick and his wife had four children: Dakota, Avalon, and Troy. Their daughter Veronica died in infancy. /ppIn science and the teaching of science, Lustick found his professional vocation. In 1999 the family returned to the United States, enabling David to study for a Ph.D. at Michigan State University in Science Education. After completing his doctorate in 2005, Lustick and his family moved to New England where he began teaching as an Assistant Professor in the Secondary Science Education Department of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. His book, Certifiable: Teaching, Learning, and National Board Certification, which appeared in 2011, is a path-breaking study of challenges facing the training of new generations of science teachers in the United States. In 2012 he was promoted to Associate Professor of Science Education in the Graduate School of Education. In addition to his teaching, Lustick led research teams focused on adult learning and informal science education. He and his team invented “Coolscience” and “Ozzie the Ostrich” who, with help from the National Science Foundation, entertained and educated thousands of Boston MTA riders about climate change. In 2014 he was inducted into Watertown High School’s Distinguished Alumni Hall of Achievement. In 2015 he was honored at the White House in Washington, D.C. as a “Champion of Change” for his efforts to expand public understanding of science and opportunities for scientific achievement. /ppAt David’s request, his ashes will be deposited near the Lustick family’s cottage in the Thousand Islands—a world of beauty and inspiration that never failed to fill his heart with joy, and the place where many of his family’s fondest memories of him arose and will continue to live. A memorial service will be held at Degel Israel Synagogue, 557 Thompson Blvd, Watertown, New York, at 3 pm Thursday September 1. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Save the River (https://donate.savetheriver.org/), the Flower Memorial Library (https://www.flowermemoriallibrary.org/node/372), and the Thompson Park Zoo (https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/ThompsonParkZoo)./p
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