University Times

Professor emeritus of environmental health engineering Maurice A. Shapiro died Nov. 10, 2010, in Portland, Ore. He was 93.

An early faculty hire at the fledgling Graduate School of Public Health, Shapiro — Moshe to his friends and colleagues — was remembered as a leader in the burgeoning environmental health program, coming to Pitt in 1951 from the American Public Health Association as assistant professor of sanitary engineering. He was named associate professor in 1958, professor in 1965 and professor emeritus upon his retirement in 1982.

During his Pitt career Shapiro also held a joint appointment as a professor of urban affairs in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA).

Fellow public health professor emeritus Julian Andelman credits Shapiro with developing joint-degree programs in public works engineering and environmental health planning with GSPIA and the School of Engineering.

“Moshe was a superb colleague, friend and leader of the environmental health program, who had a long-standing and fruitful relationship with the Allegheny County Health Department,” Andelman recalled.

“He encouraged me and other faculty to similarly reach out to practitioners in our areas, and our students benefited enormously from such activities in the development of their own careers. His counsel, wisdom and perspective were invaluable to me and countless others.”

Shapiro’s son Joel said, “The stories I am hearing from people who knew my father for a long time all have a common thread: one of caring and giving. Whether it was a personal issue or a public health issue, he thought of the other person first. When there was a local public health crisis or problem, my father was always available to help.”

Shapiro earned a bachelor of arts in biology in 1941 from Johns Hopkins University and during World War II served in the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in the former Yugoslavia. He earned a master’s of engineering from the University of California-Berkeley in 1949.

Widely published in broad environmental health areas, Shapiro’s special research interest focused on environmental conservation, especially regarding physiological aspects of drinking water quality.

He was a registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania, a diplomate of the American Academy of Environmental Engineering and held membership in a number of professional societies.

He also served as the foundation director of the Westernport Bay Environmental Study in Melbourne, Australia, and was the founding president of Associated Teachers of Environmental Health.

In addition to his son Joel, Shapiro is survived by his daughters Karla, Deborah and Lisa; his son Mark; his sister Ruth; 12 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Memorial donations may be made to the MIT David J. Shapiro Memorial Fund, MIT Office of Memorial Gifts, 600 Memorial Drive, MIT Room W98-516, Cambridge, MA 02139.

—Peter Hart