GSPIA remembers Professor Emeritus Dr. Martin Staniland

Dr. Staniland played a central role in building our School and shaping our international affairs and development programs. He was a mentor to many and will be truly missed.

Growing up, I heard so much about GSPIA, and the thing that stuck with me the most was how devoted my father was to the success of the school's students.

Martin Staniland was an accomplished scholar and a teacher who cared deeply about his students. Above all, he was a fine human being who reveled in the embrace of his loving family and who showed care and empathy to all. His colleagues and friends will fondly remember Martin’s dry British wit and his delightful story-telling. I had the privilege of serving with Martin as his associate dean and working closely with him on many GSPIA initiatives. But I will most fondly remember his thoughtful and loving friendship. His passing leaves a hole that may never be filled, but his family and many friends will be consoled by his spirit which lives on.

Martin’s scholarship was impressive. His work on air transport policy and regulation of the airline industry and the policy conference he organized, brought some of the key European experts and policymakers to Pitt. It was a first-class example of policy research that was grounded in both theory and extensive empirical research and that had an impact on the field. At a more personal level, I remember his dry wit and the pride he took in sharing the latest news about his children.

One afternoon during the 2008 financial crisis, when Martin’s office and mine were adjacent, he appeared in my doorway. 'Paul, why don’t we go spend the remainder of my 401(k) and have a cup of coffee?' We did. I don’t remember the particulars of our conversation, but I will never forget the invitation, which captures the humor and friendliness that are among my strongest impressions of Martin. He was a mentor to me and others, a conscientious leader, a caring advisor and teacher, wise, loving, and fun. I am grateful to have known Martin Staniland.

When Martin retired, he gifted me his original copy of E.H. Carr’s What Is History? The book is a record of Carr’s Trevelyan Lectures at Cambridge in 1961. This act of gifting one of his prized possessions was representative of Martin’s generosity, kindness, collegiality, friendship, and commitment to critical intellectual discourse. Yet Martin was also uncommonly honest and blessed with a sense of humor. He admitted with an ironic grin that he had missed the first of Carr’s lectures while hanging out with fellow students in a local pub.