Alumni & Development
NEWS
Memory In
Alumni Professor Emeritus Marion "Soc" Socolofsky
On November 2, 2012, the LSU College of Science lost a legendary figure in the former Department of Microbiology and in the current Department of Biological Sciences, Marion "Soc" Socolofsky. Known for his leadership in establishing electron microscopy as a facility at LSU, Soc is also remembered for his role in the proposal that funded the construction of the Life Sciences Building, and his perpetual commitment as a mentor and instructor to both colleagues and students. Soc and his wife, Esther, were avid supporters of the college, members of the Dean's Circle, and would be seen at various College of Science events throughout the year. In his career, Socolofsky taught introductory biology to over 12,700 students, including 113 doctoral students and 150 master’s students. Many of the working physicians in Louisiana today have been taught by Soc. His students and peers are a testament to his character and dedication, describing him as a professor who enjoyed teaching and truly cared about his students, their welfare, and their education. He was admired and beloved by former students, faculty colleagues, and all who knew him. Marion "Soc" Socolofsky and his wife Esther photographed during the 2011 College of Science Hall of Distinction Induction Ceremony.
Meeting a
PRYOR
Commitment
College celebrates endowment of Dr. William A. Pryor Chair
The Dr. William A. Pryor professorships were initiated in 2004 by Michael Griffith (Ph.D., 1968, chemistry), who was Dr. Pryor's first doctoral student. Griffith began the professorship as tribute to his friend and mentor. Friends, family, and Dr. and Mrs. Pryor themselves have generously contributed to the fund with the goal of honoring Dr. Pryor's legacy by reaching an endowed chair level of funding.
Left to right: Dr. William A. Pryor and Dr. Michael Griffith, 1966
Boyd Professor Emeritus William A. Pryor is a pioneer in the field of free radical research. In the early part of his career, Pryor studied the role of free radicals in a variety of organic reactions. He showed early on that several kinds of free radicals are important in biochemistry as well, and also that similar reactive species in smog can enter the body through the lungs and damage cells. Pryor was also the founding director of both the Biodynamics Institute and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. His research group has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Foundation for Cancer Research, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Health Effects Institute, and a substantial number of national and international corporations. Research grants awarded to Dr. Pryor exceed $50 million. The Dr. William A. Pryor Chair will be used to recruit and support eminent scholars in the Department of Chemistry.