In Memoriam: Mark Simon

Queens College Adjunct Lecturer

The History Department mourns the passing of Mark Simon, a historian of European and Asian societies, who died on August 5 after a brave struggle against brain cancer. At Queens College since 2008, Mark held the position of assistant adjunct professor of History where he taught courses including the History of Science, Islamic Civilizations, South Asia, and Modern Europe from 1815 to the Present. He was truly beloved by his students and was one of the most popular instructors in the department, winning the college-wide teaching prize and mentoring and personally helping many over the years. His intellectual brilliance not only allowed him to teach courses across a huge range of subjects, but to create new courses that had never been taught before, including Women in the History of Science and the History of Australia.

Mark grew up in Whitestone, Queens in the 1960s. After being awarded a Baccalaureate Degree in Liberal Arts at Queens College, he went on to earn a Master of Arts Degree in Modern European History from New York University and later attended doctoral courses in European and Asian History at the CUNY Graduate Center and Columbia University. Mark worked on Wall Street before leaving to devote himself full time to his true passion: teaching. Since 2002, Mark worked as an adjunct professor and lecturer at various colleges and universities located in and around New York City, including the College of Mount St. Vincent, St. John's University, Wagner College, and SUNY Maritime College. He was also founder and CEO of the New York Tutor Company which offered tutoring services in New York City.

Mark Simon was a true and passionate historian who deeply impacted the department and utterly transformed the lives of hundreds of students. His passing has been devastating to all who were fortunate to know him and who were personally helped by a deep empathy that came out of his own personal struggles. He was an irreplaceable presence and a truly unique, kind, and remarkable colleague, friend, and teacher. He will be sorely missed by all.

A Mark Simon Scholarship has been created to honor the memory of Mark Simon by rewarding an academically successful sophomore or junior who has had to face significant difficulties (e,g. economic, medical, physical, political) in achieving academic success.

Completed applications should be e-mail to Professor Sarah Covington (sarah.covington@qc.cuny.edu) by December 31, 2020.

The application can be downloaded Here.

Donations for the Scholarship can be sent to the Queens College Foundation, earmarked for Account # 36033