Richard Gilbarty was all set to attend the Hudson County Science Fair awards program and festivities at St. Peter’s College recently, much like the North Bergen High School science supervisor has done for the last 20 years or so.
Gilbarty, a teacher in the North Bergen district for the last 24 years, with the last 13 years serving as the district supervisor, has always been active with the Science Fair, helping to coordinate the showcase that features hundreds of the best grade school and high school students displaying their projects.
But when he went to the awards program with North Bergen Principal Paschal “Pat” Tennaro, Gilbarty had no idea what was in store.
When the 48-year-old Gilbarty arrived at the ceremonies, he was surprised to find out that he was being inducted into the Hudson County Science Fair Hall of Fame.
“I had no idea it was coming,” Gilbarty said. “I knew I was going to go to the ceremonies, but I had no idea about this. I was in the state of shock.”
Gilbarty was also given a proclamation from the North Bergen Board of Commissioners in recognition of his honor at Wednesday’s regular meeting.
Apparently, Tennaro was the one who nominated Gilbarty for the Hall of Fame. The selection committee recognized the dedication that Gilbarty has shown in his classroom and in extracurricular science-based activities for many years.
Gilbarty was inducted along with Mary Ann Blumhagen, the vice-principal of St. Aedan’s School in Jersey City, who has been the Science Fair coordinator for all parochial schools, and Dr. Edson D’Amante, a chiropractor and Jersey City native who has been a judge and a member of the review panel for many years.
It marked the third year that the Science Fair has honored individuals as Hall of Famers. The three honorees this year brings the total of honorees to nine.
“From our standpoint, Rich Gilbarty has given long service of history to the Fair and has had a huge impact on the success of the Fair,” said Kay O’Malley, the Hudson County Science Fair coordinator. “We’re always looking for shining stars, not shooting stars. He’s always the first to volunteer and the last to complain. He’s a very positive person, a very positive role model and always has a positive thing to say. He respects the whole scientific process and knows what we’re all about. He’s also respected by his peers and colleagues. He absolutely deserves the honor.”
Gilbarty has been influential in getting students active with a unique research program at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York, where North Bergen students actually do clinical and practical research in order that the hospital’s orthopedic staff could develop new prostheses, like an artificial shoulder joint. Gilbarty organized the research effort with fellow teacher Ira Wolfe.
Gilbarty also instituted an Advanced Placement program in biology and organized a curriculum that enables students to take two years of laboratory science in the same year, in order that the student would have more free time to take electives during their senior year.
According to Gilbarty, North Bergen is one of only two New Jersey schools to offer the curriculum, with Northern Valley Regional-Old Tappan in Bergen County being the other.
“It’s just a technique that I think attracts kids to our school,” Gilbarty said. “It enables our seniors to take more advanced silence classes, especially if they aspire to study science or medicine in college.”
Gilbarty said that he likes to meet with the other science supervisors throughout the county to devise different teaching philosophies and strategies.
“With 2,600 kids taking at least two years of science, we have to do something to keep it interesting for them,” Gilbarty said. “We revise some courses and set up better labs.”
Gilbarty grew up in Hoboken and is a graduate of Hoboken High, where he played football, and then Jersey City State College (which is now New Jersey City University). He got his first teaching job in North Bergen and has remained there throughout his career. He was also the long-time freshman football coach at North Bergen, serving under head coach Vince Ascolese, who was Gilbarty’s coach when he played at Hoboken in the ’60s.
Gilbarty explained his reason for the fascination of sciences.
“I think part of my interest came from theory and the hands-on approach,” Gilbarty said. “It made it interesting and definitely motivated me to learn more about theory and go to the labs.”
Onward and upward
Other than working with the students that participate in the Science Fair every year, Gilbarty said that he gets his biggest thrills from the students who go on to bigger and better things after leaving North Bergen.
“When I have students who go to schools like Harvard, Brown, Penn and come back, I feel like I’ve had some sort of an impact on them,” Gilbarty said. “That’s my biggest thrill, seeing my former students become successful on the collegiate level.”
And beyond. Several of Gilbarty’s former students have become doctors thanks to his influence.
“When I hear that, then that’s my reward,” Gilbarty said. “Getting awards are nice and it’s a great feeling, but it’s a better feeling when a kid does well and comes back to school with a smile.”
Much like the smile Gilbarty was brandishing after receiving his honors last week.
“It was totally unexpected,” Gilbarty said. “I never received anything like this before.”