School of Business professor Larry Maher was not any standard, run-of-the-mill kind of professor. His legacy continues with a scholarship in his name that will support students with financial needs -- a focus of his during his time with SUNY Oswego.

He had a reputation for being tough, but fair. Some students even made T-shirts that proudly declared “I survived Maher.” Despite his reputation and some online reviews saying his course is difficult, his sections would fill within 15 minutes, said his widow, Pam Youngs-Maher.

He was the professor that students –- particularly those with few resources or family support –- knew they could turn to. Since his passing on Sept. 28, 2023, Youngs-Maher has heard so many stories of her husband’s kindnesses, generosity and support from his former students and colleagues.

He purchased new suits and gave away his own ties for two of his students who received invitations to job interviews but didn’t have anything to wear. He never held a meeting for his teaching assistants (TAs) without providing pizza or some other food and drink.

Maher offered rides, loans or other assistance when students’ cars broke down. He would hold meetings with his students at 7 a.m. or 11 p.m. if that is what worked best in their schedules. He even kept an envelope of cash in his desk drawer for students who didn’t have the money for essentials like food, transportation or other items.

“He put himself through college,” Youngs-Maher said of her husband. “He knew what it was like not to have money. He knew what it was like not to have food so he kept a lot of food in his office for the TAs and students.”

She also recalled hearing her husband share gut-wrenching stories that his students had endured in their own lives.

“Our students go through horrible things that we don’t necessarily know about,” said Youngs-Maher, who retired in August 2023 after working at several higher education institutions. “But he did, because he was a safe haven for many of them and supported them.”

Introducing the business world

Maher began his career with SUNY Oswego as an adjunct professor in 1989 and then served as coordinator of Oswego’s North Country programs at Fort Drum from 1990 to 2000. He became a full-time, tenure-track faculty member in 2000 and taught up until August 2023 when health issues forced him to retire.

For much of his tenure at SUNY Oswego, Maher taught MGT 261: Business Organization, a required course for all business majors and wellness management majors.

His students broke into self-selected teams, created a business and developed a comprehensive business and marketing plan that included a detailed budget, competitive analysis and projections for manufacturing and distribution –- basically everything they’d need to launch the business. At the end of the semester, students were graded by their team members.

“I remember being scared after the first class,” said Robyn Kilts ’22, who called home to speak to her mom and ask for her advice about whether she should drop the class. “When he got in the room, he was like no funny business. These are my rules. We’re going to follow them. When I told my mom, she said, ‘Oh, he sounds like your grandpa. I think you’ll be fine.’ By the next couple of classes, I started to see his soft side and that’s when I realized he was just like a big teddy bear. He puts on a good front.”

Kilts went from being terrified to one of his top teaching assistants. In addition to teaching his sections of MGT 261, he created a tiered system of TAs who earned academic credit and who built their own resumes by adding responsibilities each semester. He had high standards for his teaching assistants who started as TAs within a section, then moved to head TA and then a select few became master TAs, who managed the rest of the TAs.

"I was very impressed with his TAs teaching model and how it exemplifies 'Learning by Doing,'" said Ashraf Attia, a School of Business professor and colleague of 25 years.

As chair of the marketing and management department, Attia invited Maher to present in a departmental meeting about his teaching assistant model in hopes of helping others develop their own "learn-by-doing" model for their courses. However, Maher's health took a turn for the worse and he was never able to present. Maher's model will live on through his colleagues and former students.

“It was fun watching students’ evolution and seeing them apply, then actually become TAs and blossom into really amazing leaders themselves,” said his daughter, Marisa Maher Hernandez ’16, a wellness major who applied to become one of his TAs, although she took the class as a student with another professor. “It was interesting to see that different side of my dad. He really had a no-nonsense attitude about him especially in the first week or two of classes. His goal was to make sure that the students who wanted to be there were the ones who continued with the class.”

Setting up success

Emily Jeran ’22, a business administration major and one of his TAs, said Maher empowered her to create a lesson plan that tied into her passion for green practices and her minor in sustainability studies.

She focused her presentation on an emerging trend in businesses called “greenwashing,” or businesses claiming to employ sustainable practices or to create sustainable products in hopes of drawing in eco-conscious consumers.

This presentation and her work as a teaching assistant for several semesters have helped her professionally, as she feels comfortable speaking to people at all levels in an organization and presenting herself as a polished professional. She credits Maher for giving her the knowledge and support to succeed.

Hernandez also credits her experience working as a TA in her dad’s class as providing the foundation and business acumen to successfully open her own business, EnerQi Acupuncture and Wellness in Camillus.

"As a father, he was always going above and beyond," she said. "My favorite memories are those little time periods -- the litte spots of quality time when we'd go out for lunches or dinners together. He was really supportive and super proud of me. He was a great father, and I know he was like a second father or like a grandfather to many of his students, too."

He cared deeply about the well-being and success of his students, and despite offering an initial impression as a tough teacher, his students said he was really a kind-hearted, grandfatherly mentor in their lives.

Continuing his legacy

Youngs-Maher said the idea of establishing a scholarship seemed fitting, considering how her husband dedicated so much of himself and his resources to helping students.

“When Larry retired, he said he didn’t want a party,” Youngs-Maher said. “He said he didn’t want a gift. He said if people wanted to do something to recognize his retirement, he said they could help students. That was the seed that was planted for the scholarship when he passed away. The School of Business faculty actually collected money to get this scholarship started.”

Attia was the faculty member who had reached out to Maher so that the school could recognize Maher's retirement with whatever "great gifts he prefers and deserves," but Maher insisted on having the faculty direct their support to help students in need instead.

"What a beautiful culture of giving and caring!" said Attia, who shared stories of Maher's consistent generosity to others, particularly his students and TAs. "I believe if the world had more people like professor Larry Maher, we would have fewer problems in the world."

Among the initial supporters of the scholarship was long-time colleague and fellow School of Business faculty member professor emeritus Charles "Chuck" Spector.

"During the recent COVID years, Larry was one of the first faculty members who wanted to return to the classroom and work in an in-person environment," Spector said. "He always went out of his way to be available both in the classroom and during office hours. His dedication to the students was an inspiration to us all."

School of Business Associate Dean Raihan Khan said that his words fall short in conveying the impact Maher had on his students.

"Everything he did was focused on helping students develop and grow," Khan said. "In my interactions with Larry, I found that he was always very respectful and was driven by the desire to do what is best for the students to help them excel."

Youngs-Maher and Hernandez said they know Maher would be happy to see the scholarship created and support being shared with students who have a financial need.

“He came from a low-income family, and he had to provide for and take care of his family,” Hernandez said. “So he understands how hard it is to go to college like that and how hard it is to ask for support. This scholarship will help somebody like that, and that’s right in line with his values that he took to heart.”

To support the Professor Larry Maher Memorial Scholarship, you can make a gift via the University Advancement website.

-- Submitted by University Advancement