SEAS remembers Erich Bloch, UB alumnus, IBM pioneer and former director of the National Science Foundation

by Jane Stoyle Welch

Bloch was a strong supporter of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the University at Buffalo throughout his illustrious career. His most recent gift of $1.5 million in 2014 enabled the creation of UB’s materials design and innovation department and the hiring of Krishna Rajan as the Erich Bloch Endowed Chair.

“Erich Bloch’s commitment to higher education, specifically his support of UB in this emerging field of research, was exemplary. Philanthropy such as this is instrumental in helping to recruit outstanding faculty such as Krishna Rajan to UB,” says Tim Siderakis, senior philanthropic advisor and principal gift officer, and former assistant dean for philanthropy and alumni relations in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

But this was just the most recent contribution Bloch made to SEAS and the UB community. Back in 1994, SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus George C. Lee, who was SEAS dean at the time, asked Bloch to chair the school’s first strategic advisory committee.

He agreed, but with some conditions. Bloch wanted to be sure that the committee would be able to delve deep into the inner workings of the school, and that its recommendations would be heard at the top levels of university administration. He put forward a 1.5 day program, which included an agenda provided by the school with two or three major topics for discussion.

The result was the development of an advisory format that is still in effect today.

According to Mark Karwan, who served as dean after Lee, having Bloch as the chair made it easier to recruit members to the new committee, which today is called the Dean’s Advisory Council.

Karwan, who is now Praxair Professor of Operations Research in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, helped Bloch reconnect with the university in the 1990s.

"He was looking for ways to make a change," said Karwan. "He wasn't a big supporter of giving money for buildings. We certainly needed it, but he wanted to invest in people - the undergraduates, the graduates and the faculty members who could lead the university."

The result was a $1 million endowment from Bloch to support the SEAS Dean’s Scholarship fund, which has supported over 50 students to date and continues to benefit students in the school.

"He was a remarkable individual, scientist and engineer who remembered his university, contributed to it and to Western New York and, truly, to the country and the global economy," Karwan added. "He was a real giant."

Bloch’s long and celebrated career began when he joined IBM to work in the company’s laboratory in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. upon graduating from UB in 1952.

In 1964, he made his greatest achievement at the company when he transformed computing by introducing the System/360, the foundation for the modern concept of an operating system that would host a variety of computer programs. The system enabled IBM to dominate the computer market for a quarter-century and provided the technology that now lets consumers bypass bank tellers with ATMs and make travel reservations from home.

After 32 years at IBM, Bloch was appointed director of the National Science Foundation by President Ronald Reagan. In his six-year term, from 1984 to 1990, he was a strong advocate for research and championed funding for high-risk, revolutionary projects. He played an integral role supporting the National Science Foundation Network (NSFNET), a "network of networks" that gave rise to today's Internet.

He also fostered closer collaboration between industry and American universities and helped establish engineering research centers on their campuses as the National Science Foundation's annual budget grew to $3 billion. UB’s National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, now known as MCEER, was one of the centers created as a result of this initiative.

Bloch was awarded the National Medal of Technology by President Reagan in 1985 for his part in pioneering developments related to the IBM//360. A recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, he was a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of many prestigious engineering professional societies. He received an honorary doctorate from UB in 1985.

His wife of 56 years, the former Renee Stern, died in 2004. Survivors include a daughter, Rebecca Rosen of Trumbull, Conn.; two granddaughters; and two great-grandchildren.