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Read about the accomplishments of your fellow Terps!
Bob Weber, Jr., who majored in Biology, is the creator of the comic Slylock Fox & Comics for Kids, which appears in nearly 400 newspapers around the world. He is looking to extend his characters' images by licensing them to the toy and clothing market. (4/04) Dr. Raymond Davis Jr. (BS'37, MS'40, Chemistry). See entry under "Master's Alums, Before 1950." Dr. Richard L. Faircloth (BS'68, MS'70, PhD'73, Zoology). See entry under "Doctorate Alums, 1970s."
Dr. Robin Autenrieth (BS'77, Biological Sciences), who is now a professor in the Department of CivilEngineering at Texas A&M University, received the 2004 Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellowship. The award goes to 20 academic environmental scientists each year who are chosen to receive training, consultation, and peer networking. Dr. Autenrieth's research, which uses physical and chemical processes, focuses on microbial systems that degrade target compounds, including petroleum products and chemical warfare agents. (6/04) Mr. Allan Himmelstein (BS'71, Zoology) was hired as the President for Health Sciences Group's Quality Botanical Ingredients division, located in New Jersey. He has more than 30 years of experience in the chemical, food and nutritional supplement industries. Click here for the January 28 BioSpace.com article. (3/04) Mike Lawton (BS'75, Entomology) is the Vice President of Sales & Marketing of Western Exterminator Company and a non-family member shareholder (owner) of the company. Western is considered the second largest family-owned pest control company in the United States and the largest family-owned pest control company in the West. His office is in Anaheim, California. Lawton started his pest control career as a structural pest control technician for Atlas Exterminating Co. in Towson, Maryland. In 1978 he relocated to California and became Western Exterminator Company's Assistant Technical Director. He was promoted to Technical Director in 1984 and was named Director of Sales & Marketing in 1995. In 1997 Lawton became Vice President of Sales & Marketing. Lawton is a Board Certified Entomologist with the Entomological Society of America and served as Chairman of its Professional Maintenance & Certification Committee for almost six years. Lawton has a state of California field representative license in all three branches of Structural Pest Control. He is a member of numerous trade associations associated with the pest control industry. He is also a member of the American Marketing Association. He and his wife Barbara have been married for 22 years and have three dogs: Rosie, Mallory and Silver. They reside in Dana Point, California—one mile from the beach. (2/05)
Mr. Jeffrey A. Rivest (BS'75, Zoology), who has a master's degree in financial management and health careadministration from George Washington University, has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of Maryland Medical Center. Most recently, Mr. Rivest was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the newly formed Pediatric Healthcare Network, a comprehensive network of health care services for children. Mr. Rivest also has worked at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. See this press release for more information. (1/05)
Elizabeth Kerr, PhD (BS'85, Microbiology) is the Director of SciTech Markets for Apple Computer in Cupertino, California. She joined Apple after five years in the marketing group at Affymetrix Inc. Prior to joining the marketing organization at Affymetrix, Dr. Kerr was a Staff Scientist as part of the Scientific Liaison group, also at Affymetrix. Dr. Kerr completed her PhD in Immunology at Stanford University in the lab of Dr. Mark Davis. (2/05)
Dr. Christopher R. Hardy (BS'95, Biological Sciences) has been appointed an assistant professor of biology at Millersville University , in Millersville, PA. He joined the faculty at the beginning of the fall 2004 semester. Dr. Hardy completed his PhD at Cornell University. (11/04) Dr. Jessa Bethany Jones (BS'96, Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics; PhD in 2002 from Johns Hopkins), a Senior Scientist/Product Development Analyst, is featured in an interview on the “Health Science Careers” page of the Maryland Science Center website. Her current job allows her to “design software tools to help scientists organize, integrate and manage the tons of data that are being generated as we move into a new era of biology at the completion of the human genome project.” Her advice to someone considering a career in science, math or technology is to f ind a good mentor. (11/04) Dr. Daphne Soares (BS'96, Biological Science; PhD'02, NACS). See entry under "Doctorate Alums, 2000 or Later." Andrea Ceresa (BS'02, Biological Science—Physiology and Neurobiology) finished her Master of Public Health degree in December 2004 at the George Washington University. She is currently applying to osteopathic medical school. (3/05)
Priya Daniel (BS'02, Biological Science) was accepted to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry's Doctor of Optometry program this fall. (11/04)
Excerpts from the commencement speech of recent alumna Katayoun “Katy” Deljoui (BS'04, BiologicalScience—Physiology and Neurobiology) appeared June 10 as an Op/Ed piece in the Baltimore Sun and in the Payvand Iran News. In her speech, Katy shared her remarkable personal history. As a child, she fled Iran with her family and lived in France through high school, moving to the United States for college. Knowing no English, she was dropped off at the University to begin her studies. She successfully struggled to learn English before earning a Howard Hughes Medical Institute fellowship and her degree. Katy completed an honors thesis in Biology, mentored by Dr. Sarah Tishkoff. (7/04) Lauren Drexel (BS'04, Biological Science) entered the Peace Corps; she went to Tonga in the South Pacific. She used a summer vacation while at UM to travel to Panama to tag sea turtles and studied environmental science in Australia. (9/04) Deanne Dyer (BS'02, Biological Sciences) works in the lab of research microbiologist Dr. Keith Lampel at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). Deanne interned with Dr. Lampel while at UM, a position that led to her current full-time job. Deanne is quoted in an article about the JIFSAN Internship Program on p. 3 of the current JIFSAN newsletter. (3/05) Jacob Goodwin (BS'03, Biological Sciences), a faculty research assistant in the lab of Dr. Kennedy Paynter, Biology, is quoted in a March 25 Philadelphia Inquirer article about the controversy involved in the debate over whether to inject Asian oysters into the Chesapeake Bay. (4/05) Ahsan Habib (BS'02, Biological Science) was accepted to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry's Doctor of Optometry program this fall. (11/04) Melissa Hinson (BS'01, Biological Sciences) recently passed her nursing boards and is now working as a nurse at Children's Hospital in Washington, DC. She attended the University of Maryland School of Nursing. While an undergraduate at University of Maryland, Melissa worked as the student assistant for Dr. Amel Anderson,Assistant Dean for Administration, and as a student worker for College of Life Sciences Student Services. After graduation, she worked for two years as an advisor for the College of Life Sciences before going back to school for her nursing degree. (3/05) Advanced special student Jeff Liesch (BS'04, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics with High Honors) was interviewed September 7 on PBS's News Hour at the beginning of a special report on pollution. (His named is spelled “Leach” in the program manuscript.) Liesch is affiliated with meteorology (Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences) and the Earth Systems Interdisciplinary Science Center. (10/04) Ben Schapiro (BS'04, Environmental Science and Policy) entered the Peace Corps; he was slated to go to Central or South America. (9/04) Hannah Y. Song (BS'03, Nutrition; BS'04, Microbiology) was accepted to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry's Doctor of Optometry program this fall. (11/04) Taisha Shai Williams (BS’03, Biological Sciences) is part of Howard University College of Medicine’s Class of 2007. She is focusing on sports medicine and family practice. Taisha, who previously attended the Polytechnic Institute, contacted a Baltimore Sun writer to let him know about a positive story coming out of the Baltimore City public school system—that is, that she and three of her Poly classmates are graduating from Howard University School of Medicine this spring. Click here for the March 30 article, in which Taisha is extensively quoted. (5/05) Dr. Kathryn Fuller, who took classes in the MEES program, has been elected Chair of the Ford Foundation Board. Dr. Fuller is a lawyer with training in marine biology who is the President and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund. (7/04)
Ms. Madeleine Jacobs, who completed coursework for a master's degree in 1969 with Dr. Bruce Jarvis,Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been named the new Executive Director of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Ms. Jacobs spent 14 years with the Smithsonian Institution and was the first female Editor-in-Chief of the weekly magazine Chemical & Engineering News, which is the principal news medium for the American Chemical Society. As Executive Director, Ms. Jacobs is responsible for the management of this large professional society with more than 160,000 members, and publications that include more than 35 journals in addition to Chemical Abstracts. (12/03)
Dr. Bassam Shakhashiri (MS'65, PhD'68, Chemistry). See entry under "Doctorate Alums, 1960s." Dr. Richard L. Faircloth (BS'68, MS'70, PhD'73, Zoology). See entry under "Doctorate Alums, 1970s." Dr. Beverly Mock (MS'80, PhD'83, Zoology). See entry under "Doctorate Alums, 1980s." Back to top Mr. Richard Arnold (MS'92, MEES) is one of 11 men and women to join the ranks of NASA's Astronaut corps. A May 7 Baltimore Sun article says that NASA typically assembles a new astronaut class every one to three years and that Arnold and his classmates were chosen from 2,882 applicants. (6/04) Rob Billerbeck (MS'98, CONS) is Manager of the Natural Resources section of Colorado State Parks. This includes managing GIS, resource stewardship (inventories and planning), noxious weeds, forest fuel mitigation projects and the Colorado Natural Areas Program (CNAP). The CNAP program is a statewide conservation program protecting areas with rare plants, unique geologic features and ecologically intact reference areas. (5/05) Dr. Jack N. Price (MS'94, Chemistry) has joined Professional Park Associates, a family practice group in LaFayette, GA, and an affiliate of Memorial Health Partners. Dr. Price is board-certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians and is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He worked in research in biochemistry prior to attending medical school. Dr. Price received his doctorate of osteopathic medicine from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, MO. He completed his internship in Ronceverte, WV, and a residency in family practice in Roanoke, VA. Dr. Price and his wife, Kim, have a 19-month-old son. (11/04) Ms. Susan Davidson (MS'99, Biology), an alumna of the lab of Dr. Gerald Wilkinson, Biology, is mentioned in a November 1 Discovery News (Australian Broadcasting Company) article. The article talks about the results of research she conducted with Dr. Wilkinson that was published in May in the journal Animal Behaviour ("Function of male song in the greater white-lined bat, Saccopteryx bilineata"); the researchers found that the best singers among bats attract the most female admirers. (12/04) Ms. Aleria Jensen (MS'01, CONS), a fishery biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Protected Resources in Juneau, Alaska. She coordinates the marine mammal stranding network and works on harbor seal/humpback whale management issues. She is quoted in a May 25 USA Today article about East Coast shipping. Officials are considering imposing speed and routing restrictions to protect the population of North Atlantic right whales, which numbers only approximately 300. NOAA will complete an environmental assessment and propose new regulations by early next year. (6/04, 5/05)
Dr. Bassam Shakhashiri (MS'65, PhD'68, Chemistry), Professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been inducted into the Hall of Fame of the chemistry fraternity Alpha Chi Sigma. The fraternity, a national organization, has inducted only 30 people—living or dead—including Nobel Prize winners and distinguished scientists such as Linus Pauling and Glenn Seaborg, who discovered many chemical elements. The induction ceremony for Shakhashiri was held August 5 at Virginia Tech. A second honoree is the late Willard H. Dow, the former president of Dow Chemical. An inorganic chemist by training, Shakhashiri was born in Lebanon and came to the United States with his parents and two younger sisters in 1957. Shakhashiri teaches first-year chemistry for 350 students every semester. As a researcher, Shakhashiri has focused on the communication of science. He also explores topics in science education policy. In the 1980s, he took a six-year leave of absence from UW-Madison to work for the National Science Foundation as assistant director for science and engineering education. Alarmed by funding cuts to science education, the foundation hired Shakhashiri and others to try to build up funding. (9/04) Dr. David R. Anderson (PhD'74, Zoology), President and CEO of Applied Information Company in Fort Collins, Dr. Andrew DePristo (PhD'76, Chemical Physics), a member of the College's Board of Visitors, is the new President and CEO of Bioreason, Inc. Based in Santa Fe, the company provides knowledge-based software, services and collaborations that automate and optimize the drug discovery process. Dr. DePristo, former President of GeneData USA, was most recently the Senior Director of Research and Preclinical Development Information Systems at Amgen. (5/04)
Dr. Mary Lou Fultz (PhD'82, Chemistry) is Assistant Laboratory Director, Physical Sciences at the U.S. Postal Dr. Beverly Mock (MS'80, PhD'83, Zoology) is Laboratory Chief of the Laboratory of Genetics at the National Cancer Institute Center of Cancer Research in Bethesda, Maryland. After completing her PhD at the University of Maryland, she continued her studies on the genetics of susceptibility to parasitic diseases in the Department of Immunology at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Since coming to the NIH, she has focused her research on complex genetic traits associated with cancer development. Her current work focuses on the genetics of susceptibility to mouse plasmacytomagenesis and combines classical and molecular genetic studies to fine-map, isolate and characterize disease-trait loci associated with multistep models of tumors. For additional information see her website. (9/04)
Janette Boughman (PhD'97, Zoology) is now an Assistant Professor in the Zoology Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her principal research interest is the evolution of communication. For a full description of her activities, go to her faculty web page at http://www.zoology.wisc.edu/faculty/Bou/Bou.html. (4/05) Dr. Paul Jivoff (PhD'95, Zoology), who earned his doctorate with Dr. Gerald Borgia and Adjunct Professor Anson Hines, is quoted in an October 13 Washington Post article about the successful effort to restore New Jersey's salt marshes. Dr. Jivoff is an Assistant Professor at Rider University. (12/03) Dr. David Kirby (PhD'96, Zoology), who earned his doctorate with Dr. Wolfgang Stephan, recently updated the Biology Department on what he has been doing since graduating. He shared that “I actually undertook a couple of postdocs to switch my academic field to Science Communication and now have a tenure track job over here in England.” After graduating, Dr. Kirby served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at American University from 1996 to 2001. He then was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in the Departments of Science & Technology Studies and Communication at Cornell University from 2001 to 2003 followed by a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at Duke University from 2003 to 2004. He is now a Lecturer in Science Communication in the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine at the University of Manchester in England. His web site is http://www.davidakirby.com. (4/05) Dr. Shelia A. McKenna (PhD'94, Zoology) directs the Marine Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) in the Center for Applied Biodiversity Science at Conservation International. According to her career profile on the center's web site, “her specialty is studying threats to biodiversity on coral reefs—specifically, studying reef community structures to see if the patterns on the reef result from natural or human-related causes.” For a story about her recent work on coral reefs off New Caledonia, Melanesia, click here. (4/05) Dr. Anthony Boemio (PhD'03, NACS), Dr. David Poeppel, Biology, and NACS adjunct Dr. Allen Braun coauthored a paper in Nature Neuroscience titled “Hierarchical and asymmetric temporal sensitivity in human auditory cortices.” (4/05) Dr. Shannon A. Carroll (PhD'01, Microbiology), who has a JD from George Mason University, has joined the Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox law firm as an associate in the Biotechnology/Chemical Group. Dr. Carroll assists in the preparation of patent applications and in the preparation of validity, infringement, freedom to operate and patentability opinions. Her areas of technical expertise include microbiology, molecular biology and genetics. (1/05) Dr. Gail Patricelli (PhD'02, Biology), now an assistant professor at UC Davis, coauthored a paper with BEES
As stated in the paper, their study showed that “females [birds younger than three] place an emphasis on blue decorations in decisions made throughout the mate choice process, whereas older females use blue decorations in decisions only when a male's behavioral displays are unavailable for assessment.” The study was covered in the “News and Views” section of the same Nature issue and also in Science 's “News of the Week” section:
In addition, Dr. Patricelli was featured on the TV program “National Geographic Ultimate Explorer” on July 24, 2004. On the show, Dr. Patricelli explained that the first step of the research she conducted with Dr. Borgia and Seth Coleman was to study female satin bowerbirds to determine what subtle signals their body language sends males. Then, the researchers created a robotic, remote-controlled female bowerbird and manipulated it so that it sent specific signals to male bowerbirds. Finally, they measured the males' responses. Their research shows that a female bowerbird is more likely to mate with a male if he is responsive to the female's signals. Dr. Patricelli was also featured in a Nature news feature about using robots to mimic animals in animal behavior research.Several students in Dr. Borgia’s lab are currently using similar robots in experiments in their studies of bowerbird courtship. In her current research as an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Davis, Dr. Patricelli built a robot of a female sage grouse to monitor grouse’s mating signals. (5/04, 8/04, 4/05, 6/05) Dr. Daphne Soares (BS'96, Biological Science; PhD'02, NACS), who completed her doctorate with Dr. Catherine Carr, Biology, and is a current postdoc working on the evolution of brain development in cavefish in the lab of Dr. William Jeffery, Biology, is one of four recipients of the 2004 Young Investigators Award, an honor bestowed by the International Society for Neuroethology. Dr. Soares's dissertation dealt with the biophysics of neurons in the auditory brainstem of birds and crocodilians. The findings of one of her research projects—regarding the function of the bumps on alligators' faces—were published in a Nature article in May 2002 and earned widespread media attention. Dr. Soares is also featured in an October 26 New York Times article on the amphibians, who predate dinosaurs. Soares's research led to the discovery "that the mysterious little bumps found around the jaws of some crocodile species and across the entire bodies of others, which naturalists had long observed but never before understood, are sensory organs exquisitely suited to the demands of a semisubmerged ambush predator." (3/04, 11/04) Dr. Beth Stevens (PhD'03, NACS), formerly a doctoral student of Dr. Roger Davenport, Biology, and Dr. Douglas Fields, NIH (NACS adjunct professor), is mentioned in the April 2004 cover article of American Naturalist, along with the NACS program. Dr. Stevens is a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University. The cover article, "The Other Half of the Brain," authored by Dr. Fields, says that evidence is accumulating that the often-overlooked glial cells might be almost as important as neurons in thinking and learning. (4/04) Dr. J. Albert Uy (PhD'00, Biological Science) was named Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Syracuse University. Dr. Uy did his postdoctoral work at University of California, Santa Barbara from 2000 to 2002 and was an Assistant Professor at San Francisco State University from 2002 to 2004. He studies behavioral ecology, sexual selection, animal communication and signal evolution, and evolution of premating isolation. While at Maryland, he worked with Dr. Gerald Borgia, Biology. (4/05) Dr. Virginie van Wassenhove (PhD'04, NACS) and Dr. David Poeppel, Biology, published “Visual speech speeds up the neural processing of auditory speech” in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 25. Their study shows for the first time that the brain more quickly processes a speaker's words when the listener sees the speaker talk than when the stimuli is auditory only. According to a University press release, “David Poeppel … says the study indicates that when a listener can see the speaker's mouth, the listener's brain predicts what sound is about to be heard, a process called predictive coding.” Click here for the full press release. (2/05) Dr. Marye Anne Fox (former postdoc, Chemistry) was appointed chancellor of the University of California, San Diego, on August 16. She is the first woman to be appointed permanent chancellor of that institution. Since 1998, Dr. Fox had served as chancellor of North Carolina State University. Dr. Fox is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a member of President Bush's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. She has received many awards for research and teaching, including the Monie Ferst Award, a national award that honors outstanding mentoring of graduate students. (11/04) Dr. Tami Mendelson (former postdoc, Biology), now in the Department of Biological Sciences at Lehigh University, and Dr. Kerry Shaw, Biology, published "Sexual Behaviour: Rapid speciation in an arthropod” in Nature January 27. According to a Nature press release, “In the Laupala group of Hawaiian forest-dwelling crickets—which are indistinguishable apart from their deployment of different mating songs—the speciation rate is the highest ever recorded in arthropods. Tamra Mendelson and Kerry Shaw show that these Hawaiian crickets evolve at a rate of 4.17 species per million years. This, they point out, is more than an order of magnitude greater than the average estimated rate of speciation in arthropods, calculated as 0.16 per million years. The comparison suggests that if secondary sexual traits evolve rapidly—as Laupala songs do—then they can accelerate the branching off of new species.” (2/05) Dr. Brian Verrelli (former postdoc, Biology) and Dr. Sarah Tishkoff, Biology, published a paper in the American Journal of Human Genetics:
The paper received prepress media attention in articles in the Scientific American July 14, the Arizona Republic August 10, Discovery Channel August 2 and the Times of India July 28. (8/04, 9/04, 10/04) Dr. Yoshiyuki Yamamoto (former postdoc, Biology; now a faculty member at University College London) and Dr. William Jeffery, Biology, published two papers in Nature in October 2004. In the first (“Migratory Neural Crest-like Cells Form Body Pigmentation in a Urochordate Embryo”), coauthored with graduate student Al Strickler, they resolve a longstanding question about whether neural crest cells, the source of many different vertebrate tissues, are truly a vertebrate invention. In the second paper (“Hedgehog Signalling Controls Eye Degeneration in Blind Cavefish”), coauthored with University of Colorado collaborator D. W. Stock, they continue their comparative genomic research in the teleost fish Astyanax mexicanus. This single teleost species has two different forms: an eyed surface form (surface fish) and several blind cave forms (cavefish). They report that the sonic hedgehog and tiggywinkle hedgehog genes, which are involved in transmitting a morphogenetic signal from the embryonic midline to the periphery, are up regulated in cavefish embryos. This enhancement of hedgehog signaling causes eye degeneration by triggering the developing lens to die rather than differentiate and maintain overall eye growth. They were also able to induce loss of eyes by over-expressing the hedgehog genes in surface fish embryos, which resulted in the development of blind adults. Thus far, articles about the second paper have appeared in Science October 14 and the New York Times October 19. In addition, a French news agency October 13 and the UM Newsdesk October 14 have reported on this paper. (11/04) The discovery of neural crest-like cells in tunicates published in Nature last October (“Migratory Neural Crest-like Cells Form Body Pigmentation in a Urochordate Embryo,” by Dr. William Jeffery, graduate student Al Strickler and former postdoc Dr. Yoshiyuki Yamamoto) was featured in an article titled “Evolution and Development: Rise of the Little Squirts” by A. Graham in Current Biology (Vol. 14, pp. R956-R958, 2004). The control of eye degeneration in blind cavefish by the hedgehog signaling pathway and the possibility that it confers selective advantages for life in caves, also published in an October edition of Nature (“Hedgehog Signalling Controls Eye Degeneration in Blind Cavefish,” by Dr. Yamamoto, University of Colorado collaborator D. W. Stock, and Dr. Jeffery), was reviewed in an article titled “Why Cavefish are Blind” by N. M. Tian and D. J. Price in Bioessays (Vol. 27, pp. 235-238, 2005). (3/05) Dr. Qibing Zhou (former postdoc, Chemistry) and Dr. Steven Rokita, Chemistry and Biochemistry, published the following paper in PNAS:
Dr. David W. Dempsey, DDS (BS'69, Zoology) and Rebecca Loder-Gray were married June 26 in Tarpon Springs, FL. Dr. Dempsey is a self-employed dentist. (10/04) Robert Ian Pargament, MD (BS'97, Biological Sciences) and Mary Elizabeth Reid, both of Philadelphia, PA, were married July 24, 2004, in Richmond, VA. The groom received his Bachelor of Science and Medical degrees from the University of Maryland. He completed his residency at the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and will be practicing Internal Medicine in York, PA. The bride is the Coordinator for the University of Pennsylvania's Center for AIDS Research. The couple resides in York, PA. (9/04) Retired Army Col. Donald Mitchell Boyd, PhD, MS (BS'43, Bacteriology), of Lynchburg, VA, and previously of Norbeck in Montgomery County, MD, died of cancer July 8, 2004. During World War II, he served with the Army's 69th Division, which met with the Russians near Berlin at the closing of the war. He was with a Mobile Army Military Hospital. Dr. Kent Hirsch, DDS (BS'74, Zoology), 53, died in an underwater cave diving accident south of Cancun, Mexico, on December 9, 2004. After graduating from the University of Maryland in 1974, he obtained his Dental Degree from the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1981. The Public Health Service Corps placed Dr. Hirsch as a dentist in the Huntington County, PA, region from 1981 until 1983. He relocated with his family to Manheim in 1983 and founded his solo practice in 1985. He obtained his title of Master in the Academy of General Dentistry in the spring of 1998. Dr. Hirsch was fluent in American Sign Language and served one term as president of the board of directors of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Society in the early 1990s. He was a member of the Lancaster Bicycle Club, the Conewago Canoe Club, and had 45 specialty certifications in SCUBA and cave diving, including SCUBA instructor. He participated in a triathlon in the early 1990s. One of his newer adventures was tandem skydiving. He loved to travel. Dr. Hirsch is survived by his wife Wendy, and three children, Matthew, Robin, and Madison. (1/05) Alton L. Lineweaver of Salisbury, Maryland, passed away February 26. He was 79. After graduating from the University of Maryland, he was employed in the soft drink industry for 34 years, the last 23 years with Cadbury Schweppes. He was the first American Vice President of this British company and the head of technical services in North America, South America and Central America. He was a jazz aficionado and had seen many famous musicians. He was a member of the New Jersey Jazz Society and a retired member of the International Society of Beverage Technologists. He was also a U.S. Navy veteran, who served in World War II. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Helen Odette Lineweaver (BS'49, Bacteriology) of Salisbury, and six children. (4/05) Dr. William F. Martin Jr., DDS (BS'53), a longtime dentist in the Baltimore area, died December 8, 2004, of heart failure at his Annapolis home. He was 75. A third-generation dentist, Dr. Martin began practicing in Baltimore in 1958, when he joined his father, William F. Martin Sr., in a dental practice that had been started in 1895 by his grandfather, Howard Thomas Martin. In 1990, Dr. Martin was joined in practice by his son, William F. Martin III, DDS (BS'86, Microbiology) of Annapolis. They moved the practice to Towson in 1996. He retired in 2002. In 1955, he received his dental degree from the University of Maryland Dental School. He went into the Army Dental Corps and served in Fairbanks, Alaska. He was honorably discharged as a captain in 1958. He served as president of the Baltimore City Dental Society in 1984. He enjoyed boating, especially in the Severn River, and fishing. He taught boating safety for 25 years with the Patapsco River Power Squadron organization. In addition to Helen Jean (Timanus) Martin, his wife of 49 years, and his son, survivors include a daughter, Susan J. McEvoy (BS'80, Microbiology) of Leonardtown; a sister, Ellen Walters of Whiteville, N.C.; and two granddaughters. (1/05) Alan B. Snyder, MS, MBA (BS'65, Chemistry) died after a four-year battle with Myelofibrosis on September 28, 2004, at Stanford Medical Center. During those four years Alan bravely and tenaciously fought his illness, undergoing two bone marrow transplants and trying a number of drug trials. His only stem cell match was a brave young woman who donated her stem cells twice, the first time in NYC amidst all the horror of 9/11. They finally met on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as a part of the Gift of Life Gala this past May. Alan was born in Baltimore, MD. He earned a master's degree in physical organic chemistry at Yale University, and an MBA in finance from UC Berkeley. Originally trained as a chemist, he was founder and chairman of Snyder Capital Management, L.P., where he was a respected portfolio manager and research analyst. Before joining he worked at Siebel Capital, where he held the position of Vice President - Research, at Cantor, Fitzgerald and Company. Earlier, he spent eight years as Vice President - Research at Rowe & Pitman, Incorporated, one of the premier European brokerage firms, where he dealt with the major institutional investors in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. Alan was featured in all of the major financial news magazines and television networks, including CNN, Barron's, Fortune, and the Wall Street Journal. Snyder served on numerous charitable Boards and Investment Committees including the American Conservatory Theatre, University of California (Berkeley) Endowment, JCC, JFCS, and Congregation Emanu-El. He was instrumental in helping both The Marrow Foundation and the Gift of Life Marrow Foundation in initiating bone marrow drives. The Snyders helped the Gift of Life in their retrospective typing project, allowing marrow samples taken years ago to be brought up to the latest standards of DNA-based tissue typing. Through this initiative, at least 20 transplants have taken place. He is survived by his wife Suzie Katz Snyder of San Francisco and his sister Dr. Francine Snyder of Kauai, HI. (11/04) Dr. Elmer Clark "E.C." Stevenson, PhD (BS'37, Botany) died February 26, 2005. He was 89. He attended the University of Maryland, College Park from 1933 to 1937, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in agriculture with a major in botany science. He married his high school sweetheart, Margaret Hammers, in 1939 in Washington, DC. He received a PhD with a joint major in plant pathology and agronomy and a minor in plant physiology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1942. Dr. Stevenson was employed by the Agronomy Department at the University of Wisconsin during the summer and fall of 1942 before accepting a position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, MD, as a plant pathologist in the division of drug and related crops. In 1948, he accepted a position as associate professor of horticulture at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. He was promoted to professor in 1953 and was appointed head of the Department of Horticulture in 1958. During his tenure at Purdue, his accomplishments included publication of research on mint production and mint diseases, research on the implementation of mechanical harvesters in the production of tomatoes, and the production of seedless watermelons. As head of Purdue's Department of Horticulture, Dr. Stevenson was also instrumental in establishing a horticulture park on campus that is still a favorite among students and faculty at the university. In addition, he established a landscape architecture major that grew to such stature that the department was later renamed the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. He is survived by his wife, Margaret; 6 children—Carol Poe of Franklin, IN; Dr. Craig Stevenson of Portland; James Stevenson of Arcadia, CA; Karen Hedrick of Davis, CA, Heather Jones of Corvallis and Richard Stevenson of Corvallis; and 16 grandchildren. (3/05) Dr. Rudolph (Rudy) C. White (PhD'59, Chemistry), 75, of Glen Allen, VA (formerly of Victoria, VA ), died September 26. Survivors include his wife, Sue B. White; his son, Brinson Carter White, and his daughter, Rebecca Fox. Dr. White graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1951, where he was captain of the basketball team and later served in the Korean Conflict. (10/04) Dr. Beth Williams (BS'72, Zoology), recognized as one of the prominent researchers in chronic wasting disease in animals, perished along with her husband December 29, 2004, in a Wyoming accident. On a snow-packed road, their pickup truck hit a jackknifed trailer. Dr. Williams had taught at the University of Wyoming since 1982. Besides being a respected expert worldwide on chronic wasting disease, Dr. Williams researched other wildlife diseases. Her work to combat distemper in black footed ferrets was instrumental in saving that endangered population. Her husband was Dr. Tom Thorne, a prominent researcher of chronic wasting disease in deer and elk, as well as of brucellosis in bison and elk. Dr. Williams earned a doctorate of veterinary medicine from Purdue in 1977 and a doctorate in veterinary pathology from Colorado State University in 1981. In her 22 years at the University of Wyoming, she received several honors, including the 1996 Wildlife Disease Association's Distinguished Service Award and the 1999 Wyoming Game Warden Association's award for outstanding assistance to wildlife law enforcement.
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Ms. Gina Kolata (BS'69, Microbiology; MS'73, Mathematics), an Environmental Editor for the New York Times and an author, was honored at the Fifth Annual Alumni Association Awards Gala April 17. Ms. Kolata received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the College of Life Sciences, given to those who have achieved recognition for excellence in their profession or field. Ms. Kolata's latest book is Ultimate Fitness: The Quest for Truth About Exercise and Health (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2003). She has also written for Science and Smithsonian. Past recipients of this award include Dr. Franklyn Jenifer (PhD'70, Plant Virology), president of the University of Texas at Dallas, and Dr. Brian Farrell (MS'85, PhD'91, Entomology), professor of Biology, Harvard University. (4/04)
Dr. John Straub (BS’82, Chemistry), a Professor of Chemistry at Boston University who specializes in Theoretical and Computational Chemistry and Biophysics, has received Boston University’s Metcalf Award for Teaching Excellence. (6/05)
Ms. Terry Chase (BS'93, General Biology), President and CEO of 
Damian Crawford (BS'01, Biological Sciences), a former HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellow, coauthored with Dr. Elena del Campillo, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, and others the cover article of the September 2004 issue of Plant Molecular Biology, “
Dr. Raymond Davis Jr. (BS'37, MS'40, Chemistry), winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physics, is one of three scientists awarded the Enrico Fermi Award bestowed by the U.S. Department of Energy. The honor recognizes scientists of international stature for their lifetimes of exceptional achievement in the development, use or production of energy. For more information, see the October 9 U.S. Newswire 
Mr. Ethan Kane (MS'03, Entomology) coordinated the design and development of nine exhibits for the USDA's Field Day June 5. The public is invited to this annual event to see various agricultural research and technology displays. Mr. Kane, an entomologist with the USDA, is a part of its Systematic Entomology Laboratory, which was the most well represented lab in attendance. Many exhibits were interactive in nature and covered a range of insect-related topics including the focal areas of the lab's research mission (insect identification and classification) as well as cultural elements such as insect cuisine and crafts. (7/04)
Colorado, received the Wildlife Society's 55th Aldo Leopold Memorial Award and Medal, the highest honor the society bestows. According to his 
Dr. Richard L. Faircloth (BS'68, MS'70, PhD'73, Zoology), a Professor of Biology at Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland, has been elected a regional director on the board of directors of the International Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS). He represents the Eastern Region of HAPS, one of four international regions. The region includes 13 states as well as the District of Columbia and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec. 
Inspection Service, Forensic and Technical Services Division, National Forensic Laboratory in Dulles, VA. Previously, Dr. Fultz was the chief of the Forensic Science Laboratory, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. (12/04) 
Dr. Tim Mulligan (PhD'87, Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences (MEES)), a professor in the Fisheries Biology Department at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, has been named Humboldt State University's Outstanding Professor of 2004-05. This is the university's highest honor for dedication and excellence in teaching. Mulligan has taught at HSU since 1989, and his students laud him for his energy, enthusiasm, personal attention, and grasp of detail. His faculty colleagues agree, noting that Mulligan personifies the university's long-standing commitment to practical learning through research, combined with rigorous classroom instruction. 
graduate student Seth Coleman and Professor Gerald Borgia about how female bowerbirds are affected by male birds' bower decorations, dancing and vocalizations. The paper, which has caused much interest in the scientific and popular press, and which was 
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