COGS alumnus Liz Chesterman, 31, dies
Dr.
Elizabeth Chesterman
Those who knew Liz Chesterman, Ph.D., were shocked to hear of her death May 22, in what police have described as an incident of domestic violence at her home in Greer. She was a patent agent with Nelson, Mullins, Riley and Scarborough, LLP.
A memorial service will be held at noon, June 8, in St. Luke’s Chapel.
Dr. Chesterman, 31, earned her doctorate in 2002 from the College of Graduate Studies, where she studied molecular and cell biology under mentor and research advisor Michael Kern, Ph.D, associate professor in the Department of Biology and Anatomy.
She and her husband, John, both natives of Fort Wayne, Ind., came to South Carolina in the late 1990s so she could attend MUSC. She was a 1995 cum laude graduate of Hollins University, a liberal arts college in Roanoke, Va., and she later became a member of the alumni association. She performed in the Fort Wayne Ballet and Civic Theatre and performed modern dance at Hollins. While a student at MUSC in 1999, Dr. Chesterman served as secretary of the Graduate Student Association and as the association’s vice president in 2000 and 2001.
Dr. Chesterman planned to attend law school at either Duke University or the University of South Carolina and apply her doctorate to patent law in the area of biotechnology. She was last at MUSC for the annual Student Research Day, where she judged student presentations.
“Elizabeth was a vivacious, enthusiastic, and outstanding person and scientist,” said College of Graduate Studies Dean Perry Halushka, M.D., Ph.D. “She was an exceptional graduate student and won the prestigious Kinard-Gadsden award at the 2001 Student Research day for her research presentation. She was also very active in the Graduate Student Association. Although, she was small in physical stature, she stood out because of her outgoing and warm personality. We will all miss her.”
With the support of Dr. Chesterman’s family, Robert and Catherine Simmons of Fort Wayne, a special fund has been established in her memory. Anyone wishing to contribute should make the check payable to The Health Sciences Foundation, Dean’s Fund, College of Graduate Studies, P.O. Box 250450, 18 Bee St., Charleston, S.C., 29425. The check should note that it is in memory of Liz Chesterman. A donation to this fund is tax deductible.
Dr. Chesterman was buried in Indiana. A memorial service will be held for her June 8 in St. Luke’s Chapel.
“To say I was shocked by the loss of Liz is an
understatement. The tragic loss of an individual is always a shock,
but when it is the loss of a truly vibrant life that had so much to offer,
it is that much more difficult to bear. I have little to add to the already
glowing, beautiful tributes that capture her personality so well. She was
a wonderful, giving, exceptional human being; the world is a better place
for having known her.”
—Laura Hancock, M.D., Psychiatry Resident
“I had the opportunity to start out in the Molecular
and Cellular Biology Program with Liz. As first-year students, our
class not only relied on one another for support and encouragement with
our studies but also spent most of our free time together. Our nights at
La Hacienda and other social events are cherished memories. Liz was always
the most energetic of the bunch. She had an amazing ability to make everyone
around her smile. She also introduced this young student far from home
to the wonders of Papa John’s pizza.”
—Marcy (Lucas) Nelson
“You know when you enter a room full of people
and you just feel a connection with a certain person, a warmth radiating
from them? That was Liz. When you talked with her, she made you
feel like you were the most important person in her day. I met Liz at MUSC.
I was in the Pollenz lab and she was in the Kern lab. To say she was smart
is an understatement. This tragic loss has left us all reeling. I
hope to honor her memory by trying to live my life a little more like Liz:
caring for people, being the life of the party, having a smile for everyone
I meet, and radiating that zest for life.”
—Kate Sojka, Ph.D.
“My memories of Liz are of a vibrant, energetic
participant in life. She excelled as a student, not only in her
own studies but also in the example she set and in the encouragement she
gave to others. She was excited about the direction her new career was
taking in combining science and law, and her enthusiasm for this and life
in general was just so infectious. Losing her is a tragedy.”
—Eric James, Ph.D., Department of Ophthalmology
“When I heard the news of Liz’s death, my heart
sank. Around the MUSC campus she was known as an extremely kind
and intelligent soul. My fondest memory of her is a long chat we had at
Student Research Day. I was a junior student at the time. She not only
spent the whole time encouraging me but offered excellent scientific insight.
She was packed with so much positive emotion.”
—Eric M. Grund, Graduate Student
“I met Liz when I came to MUSC to interview for
the graduate school. She was one of the reasons that I decided to
come here. Not only was she a great scientist, she was a great sales woman
and sold me on MUSC. She will be greatly missed, and my heart goes out
to her family.”
—Ryan Fiorini, Graduate Student
“The news has been very shocking, and the grief
and sadness will not diminish for a while. Nevertheless, for the
healing process to begin I would like to focus on my fond memories of Liz.
She entered my lab in 1998 with a lot of energy and excitement. She was
an excellent student at the lab bench, very organized, efficient, and conscientious
toward others in the lab. Liz was quick to grasp concepts and techniques.
In short, she was fun to train and work alongside. Her publications were
strong and made a great contribution to the field and my lab.”
—Michael J. Kern, Ph.D., Department of Biology and Anatomy
Friday, June 4, 2004
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