UC Davis Biological Sciences Newsletter - Summer 1999
In Memoriam
Professor of biological sciences Joel Keizer died on May 16, after a five-month battle with lung cancer. He was 56. Keizer joined the UC Davis faculty in 1971 as an assistant professor of chemistry. During the 1990s, Keizer's research interest turned to mathematical modeling of biological processes. In 1993 he became a professor of biology. His modeling was greatly appreciated by experimental biologists. "People who do theoretical work often come up with models that are interesting mathematically, but have nothing to do with real life," says Division of Biological Sciences Dean Mark McNamee. "Joel was very good at bridging the gap between theory and things you could measure." Keizer established the UC Davis Institute of Theoretical Dynamics in 1986 and was its director until his death. A multidisciplinary symposium, "Nonlinear Dynamics in Chemistry and Biology," is being held at UC Davis in September to honor Keizer.
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