Plant Biology ISSN 1435-8603
Obituary
On 9 January 2015, the academic community specialising in environmental plant stress physiology and plant nutrition lost an outstanding colleague. Andre L€auchli was born on 15 December 1933 in Basel (Switzerland). After studying botany at the University of Basel, he received his Ph.D. (1960) under the supervision of Prof Max Geiger-Huber. In 1967 he earned his Lecturer degree in botany after submitting a post-doctoral thesis (1967) at the University of Basel. Thereafter, he worked for two years (1968–1970) as a post-doctoral scholar with Prof Emmanuel Epstein in the University of California at Davis. He then joined the faculty of Texas A & M University (1970–1972) as Assistant Professor. Two years later he was appointed Associate Professor at the University of Technology in Darmstadt, Germany (1972–1977). For a position as Full Professor of Botany, he moved again within Germany to the Veterinary University in Hannover (1977–1979). Later, he realised his heart belonged at the campus of the University of California, Davis, where, in 1979, he was offered a position as Full Professor in plant nutrition. Once back at Davis, the combination of his outstanding personality and diplomatic behaviour was an advantage as a leading scientist, making him very popular among his fellow faculty members. Consequently, he was soon elected Chair of the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources (1984–1991). Andre was a dedicated Chair and unselfishly worked long hours into the night on his research and administrative duties. After his successful and dedicated work as Chair, he served as Executive Associate Dean for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (1992–1998). His typical diligence in work and his punctuality can best be described as ‘Swiss clockwork’, which contributed to his success as he assumed higher responsibilities at the University of California. Thus, in 1998 he was appointed Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of California at Davis. Andre L€auchli had several periods of sabbatical leave as Visiting Professor to Switzerland (1975), Germany (1992, 1997, 2008) and Australia (2009, 2013). His professional interests were mainly focused on the physiology of plant salt resistance, subcellular compartmentation of ions, the mobility of ions and the efficiency in uptake and utilisation of nutrients in plants. For his scientific impact he was awarded the Humboldt Research Award for Senior Scientists and an honorary doctorate (Dr h.c.) in agricultural sciences from the Justus-Liebig University of Giessen in Germany. His expertise in plant physiology continued to be highly acknowledged in scientific journals, where he served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Plant Physiology, Planta, Plant Biology and Physiologia Plantarum. In addition, he served five years as Associate Editor of the
E. La €uchli Prof Dr Dr h.c. Andre
highly cited journal Plant Physiology and as Editor of Plant Biology. In the Web of Science, his work is highly cited; he published about 140 original papers, mostly in highly reputable plant science journals, as well as more than 30 book chapters. In addition, he edited several books in the field of plant ion localisation and salinity tolerance. He was a dedicated teacher in the areas of environmental stress physiology and plant nutrition, and students loved him as a teacher. Most of his Ph.D. students and post-doctoral scholars followed in his footsteps and became professors in plant physiology and plant nutrition, which further demonstrates his scientific impact. In 2003, Andre was promoted to Distinguished Professor, where he remained with this title until his retirement in 2006. Only a small fraction of the faculty in the college ever achieved this outstanding position. Andre is survived by his caring wife Rita, his two daughters, Christina and Sabine, and four grandchildren. He will be deeply missed in the plant scientific community. We will honour his scientific achievements in environmental plant stress physiology and plant nutrition and will always keep him in our thoughts.
Plant Biology 17 (2015) 297–297 © 2015 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands
K. H. M€ uhling
297
Obituary
On 9 January 2015, the academic community specialising in environmental plant stress physiology and plant nutrition lost an outstanding colleague. Andre L€auchli was born on 15 December 1933 in Basel (Switzerland). After studying botany at the University of Basel, he received his Ph.D. (1960) under the supervision of Prof Max Geiger-Huber. In 1967 he earned his Lecturer degree in botany after submitting a post-doctoral thesis (1967) at the University of Basel. Thereafter, he worked for two years (1968–1970) as a post-doctoral scholar with Prof Emmanuel Epstein in the University of California at Davis. He then joined the faculty of Texas A & M University (1970–1972) as Assistant Professor. Two years later he was appointed Associate Professor at the University of Technology in Darmstadt, Germany (1972–1977). For a position as Full Professor of Botany, he moved again within Germany to the Veterinary University in Hannover (1977–1979). Later, he realised his heart belonged at the campus of the University of California, Davis, where, in 1979, he was offered a position as Full Professor in plant nutrition. Once back at Davis, the combination of his outstanding personality and diplomatic behaviour was an advantage as a leading scientist, making him very popular among his fellow faculty members. Consequently, he was soon elected Chair of the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources (1984–1991). Andre was a dedicated Chair and unselfishly worked long hours into the night on his research and administrative duties. After his successful and dedicated work as Chair, he served as Executive Associate Dean for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (1992–1998). His typical diligence in work and his punctuality can best be described as ‘Swiss clockwork’, which contributed to his success as he assumed higher responsibilities at the University of California. Thus, in 1998 he was appointed Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of California at Davis. Andre L€auchli had several periods of sabbatical leave as Visiting Professor to Switzerland (1975), Germany (1992, 1997, 2008) and Australia (2009, 2013). His professional interests were mainly focused on the physiology of plant salt resistance, subcellular compartmentation of ions, the mobility of ions and the efficiency in uptake and utilisation of nutrients in plants. For his scientific impact he was awarded the Humboldt Research Award for Senior Scientists and an honorary doctorate (Dr h.c.) in agricultural sciences from the Justus-Liebig University of Giessen in Germany. His expertise in plant physiology continued to be highly acknowledged in scientific journals, where he served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Plant Physiology, Planta, Plant Biology and Physiologia Plantarum. In addition, he served five years as Associate Editor of the
E. La €uchli Prof Dr Dr h.c. Andre
highly cited journal Plant Physiology and as Editor of Plant Biology. In the Web of Science, his work is highly cited; he published about 140 original papers, mostly in highly reputable plant science journals, as well as more than 30 book chapters. In addition, he edited several books in the field of plant ion localisation and salinity tolerance. He was a dedicated teacher in the areas of environmental stress physiology and plant nutrition, and students loved him as a teacher. Most of his Ph.D. students and post-doctoral scholars followed in his footsteps and became professors in plant physiology and plant nutrition, which further demonstrates his scientific impact. In 2003, Andre was promoted to Distinguished Professor, where he remained with this title until his retirement in 2006. Only a small fraction of the faculty in the college ever achieved this outstanding position. Andre is survived by his caring wife Rita, his two daughters, Christina and Sabine, and four grandchildren. He will be deeply missed in the plant scientific community. We will honour his scientific achievements in environmental plant stress physiology and plant nutrition and will always keep him in our thoughts.
Plant Biology 17 (2015) 297–297 © 2015 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands
K. H. M€ uhling
297
