Carol Lynch

1942 - 2019

Peacefully passed away at home on June 22, 2019 in Boulder, Colorado. Carol was born on December 3, 1942 in Queens Village, New York to Milton and Catherine (Kupsh) Becker, and she was raised in Roslyn, New York. She married Robert Lynch on August 19, 1967. The service was conducted by her uncle, the Reverend Henry Kupsh. Carol B. Lynch is Dean Emerita at the University of Colorado at Boulder where she was Professor of Ecological and Evolutionary Biology, and Fellow of the Institute for Behavioral Genetics, having served as Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Chancellor for Research from 1992-2004. She then served for 5 1/2 years as a Senior Scholar at the Council of Graduate Schools, establishing a new graduate degree program called the Professional Science Masters. Carol received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College, her M.A. from the University of Michigan, and her Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. She held a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Colorado's Institute for Behavior Genetics. From 1973-92 she was at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, as Professor of Biology, and later Dean of the Sciences. She held a Career Development Award, is a Fellow of AAAS, and was President of the Behavior Genetics Association. She was a Program Director in Population Biology and Physiological Ecology at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Carol's service record included President of the Western Association of Graduate Schools, Board of Directors of the Council of Graduate Schools, and Board member for Educational Testing Services in New Jersey. She also served as a NSF's Dean in Residence and co-chaired the board for National Professional Science Masters Association. Locally, she was a member of the Board of Trustees for Frasier Meadows Manor and a member of the Boulder Rotary. A biologist by training, she has held many research grants and has published extensively on evolutionary and behavioral genetics. She was also Co-PI on an NSF award to increase and support diversity in graduate education and was Co-PI on another NSF award to support woman at all levels of academia. Carol was an intelligent, kind person who had penchant for mentoring junior faculty and graduate students. Friends and colleagues respected her wisdom, common sense, and strength to back her beliefs, while providing an enduring role model for others, especially women. They also valued her truthfulness and her keen ability to solve what were often complex problems. On a personal level Carol was accepting, open, and caring. She loved travel and new experiences, such as traveling downriver through the Peruvian rainforest in a motorized canoe. Carol was an avid walker who walked a minimum of five miles a day. Carol was preceded in death by her mother and father. She is survived by her husband, brother Donald Becker of Rochester NY, niece Jasmin Becker of Novato CA, and nephew Richard Becker of Pittsford NY. A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held September 7, 2019, 2:00 pm, at St. John's Episcopal Church, 1419 Pine Street, Boulder, CO 80302. Memorial contributions may be made to the Carol B Lynch Graduate Fellowship Fund at the University of Colorado, Boulder.