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Mary Zavanelli Fund for Undergraduate Research in the Health Sciences

The Mary Zavanelli Fund for Undergraduate Research in the Health Sciences, an endowed fund formed by Mary’s family in her honor, offers meaningful research opportunities for undergraduates. This fund honors our colleague, Mary Zavanelli, an outstanding and inspirational MCD Biology teaching professor who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2013 and passed away on February 18, 2017. Mary taught some of UC Santa Cruz’s largest biology courses and has shaped the lives of students for more than 20 years.

Mary received her Ph.D. from UC Santa Cruz in 1991, working with Professor Manny Ares on RNA splicing. In 1995, Mary became a lecturer at UC Santa Cruz and excelled in teaching many different courses over the years, including highly popular courses in Female Physiology and the Biology of AIDS. Mary was also an exceptional athlete and competed in numerous Ironman triathlons. Mary’s love of biology, her commitment to teaching, and her perseverance in facing ALS have been an inspiration for students and colleagues alike.

Mary has requested that the fund be used to support undergraduate research in the health sciences. From her teaching experiences at UCSC, Mary knows that meaningful research opportunities for undergraduates are hard to find and yet can have a tremendous impact on students persisting in challenging science majors and ultimately on their career success.

Her family has offered to match donations up to $25,000.