Martin Sanzari’s desk is surrounded by science. On the left is a skeleton, a visual aid for students who helped him conduct research at the Hospital for Special Surgery. On the right is a cardboard cutout of his hero, Albert Einstein — just one example of dozens of Einstein memorabilia found around his office.
“You should see how many of them I have in my house,” Sanzari said.
Learn more about Sanzari, assistant professor of physics and director of Fordham’s engineering physics program, in this month’s installment of What’s on My Desk.
The Einstein Collection
“I don’t know that there’s a physicist anywhere that doesn’t like Einstein,” said Sanzari, a physicist himself.
He has visited Einstein’s former home in New Jersey, posed for a picture with a 12-foot-high statue of Einstein at the National Academy of Sciences, and sat at the same table that the scientist supposedly scratched his initials into.
“His work on general relativity — basically, an explanation of how gravity works — was so ahead of his time. He really started from nothing, and a lot of scientists tried to dissuade him from developing his theory because they thought it was impossible. But he wouldn’t give up.”
Sanzari said that if Einstein were still alive, he would ask him about his path toward general relativity. Instead, he keeps a jumbo cutout of his hero—a popular guest at the Department of Physics and Engineering Physics’s annual end-of-the-year celebration for graduating seniors. “Our students love bringing him to the party and taking pictures with him,” Sanzari said, smiling.
A Reminder of His Aerospace Research
On Sanzari’s desk is a model of the SR-71 Blackbird, which reminds him of the days when he worked on aircrafts and rockets.
“In that type of field, you get to try a lot of interesting things,” said Sanzari, who worked in the aerospace industry for more than a decade. “One of my patents is for a superconducting gyroscope. I invented that during President Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars project. Reagan had this idea to put a shield around the United States to protect it from missiles. I invented a positioning system that could go up in space and be part of a tracking mirror system that shoots lasers from the ground, hitting missiles that were trying to hit the U.S.”
Our Solar System
Hanging above his desk is a mobile of our solar system. “Whenever the window is open, there’s a nice breeze, and the planets spin around,” said Sanzari.
A Patent Award Named in Honor of a Prolific Patentee
In 2022, Sanzari was awarded an Edison Patent Award from the Research & Development Council of New Jersey for his patent that could improve commercial aircraft engines.
“Right now, it’s impossible to measure pressure variations in the engine in real time because the engine’s temperature is too high. At 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit, anything will melt,” Sanzari said. “My technology is made out of lasers, fiber optics, and special metals that can resist these really high temperatures. As a result of my patent, aircraft control systems could make real-time adjustments to their engines, making them more efficient and giving them more power.”
Before he was awarded the Edison Patent Award, Sanzari and his son used to make an “annual pilgrimage” to the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in New Jersey.
“When Edison was working on inventing the lightbulb, he never came home. His wife put a cot in his office so he could sleep,” Sanzari said about Edison, who received more than 1,000 patents over his lifetime. “As someone who also invents things and has patents, I was amazed to see him put in so much time and effort until he achieved what he wanted.”
‘The Happiest Place on Earth’
Sanzari has many souvenirs from annual Disney family vacations, dating back to 2001.
“I love amusement park rides. The more I get thrown around, the happier I am,” he said. “I run around and have fun on the roller coasters, while my wife goes shopping and enjoys the shows. Everybody’s happy!”
A Scientific Gift From Martin III
On his desk is a gift from his son, who followed in his father’s scientific footsteps.
“My son, Martin Sanzari III, went to Fordham. He graduated with an engineering physics degree in 2011 and is now a program manager at an aerospace company,” Sanzari said. “Martin gave this to me because he thought I would find it fun. The fluid is magnetized, so you can move it around with a magnet.”
A Postcard From the South Pole
In a nondescript black box on his desk are letters and thank-you notes from former students, including a postcard from an alumnus who conducted research in Antarctica:
“Greetings from the South Pole! I’ve ended up a long way from your basement lab in Freeman!” wrote Joshua Sobrin, FCRH ’11. “I’ve been down here for 2 months now, working to upgrade the telescope and receiver you see here. We’re aiming to make the highest-sensibility-and-resolution maps, to date, of the cosmic microwave background-primordial light literally left over from the Big Bang. … Wishing you and your family the best, and hoping to share stories and science the next time at Fordham. Go Rams!”
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
