PEOPLE NEWS
David B. Allison
Health Sciences Center in Detroit from Chase enjoyed his singing and, more
1998–2003. At both Georgetown and recently, singing to his new grandson.
David B. Allison, professor of
Henry Ford, he held the department chair Friends and family remember how he
biostatistics and nutrition sciences at the
for part of his tenure. enlivened social gatherings with memo-
University of Alabama at Birmingham,
Chase was a founding member of rable jokes and stories.
was one of 10 people and one organiza-
the International Genetic Epidemiology Carol S. Weisman, PhD, Chase’s
tion awarded the Presidential Award for
Society and a member of the American widow, also serves on the faculty in the
Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and
Society of Human Genetics and the Department of Public Health Sciences
Engineering Mentoring, a program sup-
American Statistical Association. He also as professor and chief of the Division of
ported and administered by the National
served as a member of numerous mili- Health Services Research. Penn State is
Science Foundation. The winners were
tary and civilian federal advisory panels, establishing a fund in memory of Gary.
announced at the White House on
including the NIH Recombinant DNA Weisman said the funds will be used for
November 16, 2007.
Advisory Committee. a library/meeting room to be located in
These awards are made to those who
From 2003 until his untimely death, the new PSCI at the Penn State Hershey
have demonstrated outstanding guidance
Chase was professor of public health Medical Center. Chase was the princi-
to a significant number of under-repre-
sciences and chief of the division of pal statistician for the PSCI and planned
sented students at the K–12, undergradu-
biostatistics at the Penn State College to concentrate his future research there.
ate, or graduate level. Nominations are
of Medicine and principal statistician of Weisman also said “honoring him with
made by colleagues, administrators, and
the Penn State Cancer Institute (PCSI). the library/meeting room seems partic-
students from the nominee’s organiza-
Chase’s research involved the genetic fac- ularly appropriate because he was both
tion, which must be eligible to be an NSF
tors of diseases and public health issues, a scholar and a devoted mentor who
award grantee.
particularly mental disorders such as enjoyed the opportunity to meet with
Beyond being honored at a White
dementia. He provided vital statistics students and colleagues for seminars and
House ceremony, awardees receive a grant
for a number of projects and became the informal discussions.”
of $10,000 to continue and advance their
advisor, mentor, and friend to countless If you would like to contribute to this
mentoring work. To date, 178 individu-
students, faculty, and medical staff. Most fund, make checks payable to Penn State
als and organizations have been recog-
recently, his projects at Penn State includ- with “Gary Chase Memorial Fund” in the
nized. For more information about the
ed Genetic Epidemiology of Alzheimer’s memo section. Checks should be mailed to
award, visit www.nsf.gov and click on the
Disease in African Americans, Adverse Office of University Development, Penn
“News” tab.
Pregnancy Outcomes, and Genetic and State College of Medicine, P.O. Box 852,
Environmental Risks for Colorectal Hershey, PA 17033.
Obituary
Cancer. Chase was proud of a recent study
he participated in that identified a genetic
Gary A. Chase
basis of nicotine dependence.
Obituary
Vernon Chinchilli, PhD, chair of the
Gary A. Chase, PhD,
John Mandel
Department of Public Health Sciences,
passed away Monday,
said Chase was a pioneer during the 1970s
Reprinted with permission from
October 22, following
in the fledgling discipline of genetic sta-
The Washington Post
complications from a
tistics, which today is critical to many
stroke. He was 62 years
areas of biomedical research. Chinchilli
John Mandel, 93, who spent more than 40
of age.
said Chase also provided vital leadership
years as a statistician at the National Institute
Chase, born January
as chief of the Department’s Division of
of Standards and Technology, died October
5, 1945, was a native
Biostatistics and played a significant role
1 of congestive heart failure at Holy Cross
of New York City and
Gary A. Chase
in helping junior biostatistics faculty
Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland.
graduated from Ethical Culture Fieldston
members develop their careers. “It wasn’t
Mandel came to Washington in 1947
School in 1962. He was a National Merit
just that Gary helped and influenced so
to work for what was then the National
Scholar and graduated magna cum laude
many individuals in his professional life,
Bureau of Standards. He made major
with an AB from Harvard University in
it was the manner in which he did so,”
contributions to its scientific and engi-
1966. He received an NIH graduate fel-
said Chinchilli. “Gary always provided
neering programs as an internationally
lowship and graduated from The Johns
a warm smile and an interesting and
recognized authority on the application
Hopkins University in 1970 with a PhD
insightful story, whether it was during a
of mathematical and statistical methods
in genetic statistics. Chase served on the
course lecture, a research meeting, or sim-
in the physical sciences.
faculty of John Hopkins from 1970–1994.
ply a friendly chat. His family will miss
Mandel developed statistical designs
He also served as a chief statistician at
him, his professional colleagues will miss
for experiments. Trained as a chemist
Georgetown University Medical Center
him, and I will miss him.”
and mathematician, he was instrumen-
from 1994–1998 and as a senior consul-
Chase was committed to his Jewish
tal in developing statistical methods
tant in the Department of Biostatistics
faith and developed a lifelong apprecia-
that improved the accuracy of analyzing
and Research Epidemiology at Henry Ford
tion of classical music, especially opera.
blood serum. He retired in 1990 and
JANUARY 2008 AMSTAT NEWS 27
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