On the evening of Nov. 4, 2016, Blackburn College inducted four individuals into the Science Wall of Honor. Blackburn alumni Dr. Herman Brockman, Dr. Irving “Larry” Graves, Dr. William R. Jewell and Blackburn faculty emeritus Dr. Marsha (Ekstrom) Meredith were celebrated at the event which took place in the Mahan Laboratory Wing Atrium.
The Blackburn College Science Wall of Honor was founded in 2012 and nominees are selected based on certain criteria:
-either they have graduated from Blackburn and made a significant contribution to science, or they have served 20 or more years as Blackburn faculty
-they are retired from Blackburn and have inspired former students.
Before presenting the inductees, Blackburn Chair of Biology Dr. James Bray, senior biochemistry major Veronica Milligan, professor of biology and ecology Dr. Jonathan Micancin and senior biology major Ross Albert spoke about their experiences of conducting research on sustainability through Blackburn College.
Professor of chemistry Dr. Mark Armstrong served as the host of the induction ceremony on behalf of the Science Wall of Honor Committee, and President Dr. John Comerford unveiled the plaques in honor of the inductees while presenting them with an award.
The ceremony began with Micancin presenting Dr. Graves. Micancin spoke on the highlights of Graves’ life and contributions to science by noting that Graves attended Blackburn in 1949 and continued his education at the University of Minnesota where he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1956. He also earned his Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of North Carolina in 1963. Most notably, he was a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health where he also conducted research on “bird flu” and published over 45 scientific articles. Graves passed away in 2011 and was presented the honor in his memory.
Dr. Brockman was then presented by Bray, who provided a summary of Brockman’s career honors. Brockman graduated from Blackburn in 1956, earned his master’s from Northwestern University in 1957 and a Ph.D. from Florida State University in 1960. Brockman was a professor at Illinois State University (ISU) from 1963 to 1998 when he retired. The research he directed at ISU focused on genetic mutations. Brockman said that he felt “overwhelmed” by the honor, and that he has a “great appreciation for Blackburn College.”
The next inductee was Dr. Jewell, who was presented by Blackburn Chair of chemistry Dr. Karl Luth. Jewell graduated Blackburn College in 1957 with a degree in chemistry and earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois in 1966. Jewell was a surgeon for 40 years and had a strong interest in the early detection of cancer. He was involved in research and trials that related the drug Tamoxifen, which is used as an effective treatment for breast cancer. Jewell said upon receiving the award, “It’s a great honor,” and elaborated on the superb preparation for medical school provided by his education at Blackburn College and stated, “This is what Blackburn is good at doing.”
The final inductee, Dr. Meredith, was presented by Blackburn Chair of mathematics Dr. Chris Morin, who recounted the years he worked alongside Meredith. He attested to her inspiration and mentorship of students over her 35 year career at Blackburn. After graduating Hunter College-CUNY, she went on to Indiana University (IU) to earn a master’s in mathematics as well as computer science and was the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in computer science at IU. Meredith also pioneered the computer science major at Blackburn College. When asked about her induction, she said, “It’s an amazing honor,” and that she was very grateful.