Dr. Marian Lupulescu, Curator of Geology at the New York State Museum for more than twenty (20) years, has died after a long battle with cancer. I first met Marian in early 2010 during a visit to the New York State Museum in Albany, New York. We would cross paths several times more during his distinguished career there, typically when making specimen donations of rare minerals as part of my duties as Hudson Institute of Mineralogy chairman. Marian was a no-nonsense scientist and researcher, and his scientific contributions to New York mineralogy were among the most thorough and precise, particularly his analytical work pertaining to New York State tourmalines and amphiboles.

Marian authored or co-authored over 100 published, peer-reviewed articles related to his research topics, including articles in popular collector journals such as Rocks and Minerals and Mineral News. He was elevated to Museum Scientist and Curator of Geology in 2004, building upon his earlier academic and industrial career work. He was a Fulbright Scholar at the California Institute of Technology in 1998-1999 while teaching mineralogy and geology at Bucarest University in Romania (1980 to 1999), earning his PhD in 1987. He taught both graduate students and undergraduates in Romania, covering every conceivable topic related to mineralogy, geochemistry and hard-rock geology, and he wrote four (4) textbooks during his tenure there. Prior to his academic career, he was a field geologist, working for a Romanian rare metals company in Bucarest from 1976 to 1980.

Part of Marian’s outreach efforts included over 80 conference and paper presentations to such organizations as the Geological Society of America, Northeastern Geological Society of America, Rochester Mineralogical Symposium, various colleges and universities, Bureau of Geology and Mining Research (France), Turin University (Italy), Belgrade University (Serbia), Institute of Geology Academia Sinica (China), Geological Society of Canada, as well as Romanian science organizations.

Marian was instrumental in the discovery and descriptions of the new minerals fluoropargasite and potassic-fluoro-hastingsite, both from New York, and he was the lead author of the publication of both new species. I was pleased to know him, and vigorously fought for him when the State bureaucracy foolishly planned to eliminate his position about a dozen years ago. Many New York mineral clubs and university representatives wrote letters of support that eventually thwarted that plan. That support cemented our relationship, and for those of you who have not seen the remarkable mineral collection on display in the New York State Museum in Albany, should certainly add it any New England itinerary. Marian Lupulescu worked hard to make the Museum grow and become a worthy recipient of many fine specimens that grace those display cases today.

Tony Nikischer


As a post script, New York State Education Department is now looking to hire Marian’s replacement as curator and researcher. Interested candidates must apply by October 3. The job posting (Museum Scientist) can be found here: https://statejobs.ny.gov/public/vacancyDetailsView.cfm?id=139099