| Dr. Devra G. Kleiman was a pioneer in the emerging field of conservation biology and one of the foremost female biologists of her time. Dr. Kleiman’s most groundbreaking work included her research on giant pandas that lead to successful captive breeding programs worldwide, and her research of the endangered golden lion tamarin that helped rescue the South American monkey from near extinction and reintroduce it into its natural Brazilian habit. Dr. Kleiman was influential in ushering in an era in which zoos became not simply a place to exhibit animals, but an instrumental part of conservation efforts. She also served as an adjunct professor of biology at the University of Maryland beginning in 1979. A loving wife, daughter, sister, and stepmother, Dr. Devra G. Kleiman died of cancer on April 29, 2010. In order to honor Dr. Kleiman’s memory, her mother, Molly Kleiman, established through the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, Inc. an endowed fund to support graduate students in the Department of Biology at the University of Maryland, College Park. |