Mait was on the faculty during my graduate school years in Frick (the old one, for you youngsters). I was not interested in organic chemistry, but it was impossible not to know Mait, impossible not to know about him, or impossible not to have an opinion on the subject of Mait.
My considered view at the time was that aside from his addiction to The Preppy Handbook and khaki trousers, he was an outstanding scholar, a very fine teacher and mentor, a consummate researcher and research group leader, and ... er ... kinda cute in a New England sort of way.
The entire incident at NYU does little to bolster the NYU brand or to encourage observers to take the school seriously in the educational landscape. This does indeed come as news to me because I’ve always held NYU in high regard. No longer.
Good on ya, mate (or is it Mait?).