In Memoriam
Karl Gordon Lark
1930–2020
Founding Chair of the School of Biological Sciences
K
arl Gordon Lark, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Utah, passed away on April 10, 2020 after a 7-year battle with cancer. A renowned geneticist, Lark’s research has uncovered fundamental aspects of DNA replication and genetics across many systems, from bacteria to soybeans to dogs. He came to the U in 1970 as the biology department’s inaugural chair with a vision—to build a research and teaching powerhouse in the desert. In just six years he recruited seventeen faculty members from all biological disciplines, establishing an institution of scientific excellence,
8
said Denise Dearing who now directs the School which often reports the most majors of any academic unit on campus. “The [University of Utah’s] nascent research community, in every field from molecular biology to community ecology, was built by Lark in creative, often wildly unconventional small steps,” wrote Baldomero “Toto” Olivera, Distinguished Professor of the School of Biological Sciences in an unpublished essay for the Annual Reviews of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Olivera conducts world-renowned research of cone snail venom and pain management, and was recruited by Lark. “He personally
