A retired NIU education teacher described as “magnetic, effective and efficient” has died.

Walter Wernick, who was on the NIU education faculty from 1957 until his retirement in 1988, died Jan. 11. A specialist in career education and elementary education, Wernick, 60, also was a lecturer and writer.

Wernick wrote several articles and books on career and migrant education. His other accomplishments included being an education consultant and directing career education projects in cities all over the United States.

“He drew his students and they reacted strongly and positively,” said former faculty colleague, Mary Louise Seguel. Wernick was “an outstanding teacher, passionately devoted to liberty,” she said.

In 1983, Wernick received a grant from the Swedish Bicentennial Fund to research the ethnic backgrounds of career/vocational students in Sweden.

When he retired in 1988 from NIU, he didn’t retire from teaching.

“This year he was doing some new research on the temperament styles of school children,” Seguel said.

Wernick was born in New York City and got his bachelor’s degree from the City College of New York, now the City University of New York, N.Y., in 1951. He received his master’s and doctorate degrees from Teachers College at Columbia University, New York, N.Y.