Cerritos College announced the death of John Haas, a history professor and the founder of the Global Consortium for Sustainable Peace, on Sept. 26.
Haas was a key figure at the college during his 26 year-long career teaching at Cerritos College – he was involved in many workings at the college and frequently made his presence felt throughout the campus.
“Dr. John Haas was an incredible professor and colleague. He was engaging, kind, and steadfast in his mission to prepare others to be globally competent citizens,” Cerritos College President Dr. Jose Fierro said, “During his tenure, Professor Haas pioneered creative ways to bring the world to Cerritos College through technology, and he helped us to appreciate the interconnectedness of all people and systems. He truly made the world a better place, and I join my colleagues in mourning his passing.”
In particular, he spent much of his career bringing many notable figures to speak at the college such as Noam Chomsky. More recently, he’d welcomed Israeli journalist Gideon Levy, constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe and Irish activist Goretti Horgan to speak at the college via Zoom.
Haas was recognized in 2016 for his efforts in global peacebuilding through his Global Consortium broadcasts when he received a Southern California Mediation Association’s Education Foundation Directors Award – he was also awarded the outstanding faculty award in 2000-2001.
Elizabeth Miller, the dean of student services, said, “I worked with Dr. Haas over the years related to programs he presented that were supported by ASCC. Dr. Haas was incredibly passionate about his work and his students. He could explain complex socio-political issues in a way that made them approachable, and encouraged others to get involved in causes they care about.”
She continued, “It was also a pleasure to work with him, he was thoughtful and caring, and always put students first. He is sincerely missed by all in our office.”
Cerritos College Faculty Federation president Lynn Wang, said, “It is a huge loss to the campus community. Dr. Haas brought many speakers to the campus in-person and/or online, which allowed our students to hear from renowned scholars around the world. His teachings and research have benefited our community for many years.”
Talon Marks also reached out to several other colleagues, friends, and acquaintances of Haas, but is still in the process of getting comments from them.
A grief counselor will be available on campus on Sept. 30 from 9 a.m. to noon in room 16 of the Social Sciences building – confidential counseling is also available to employees, 24/7 through the Employee Assistance Service for Education at 1-800-882-1341.
Editor’s note: News Editor Andrew Pilani is a former student of John Haas.
