Moselio "Elio" Schaechter

1928 - 2025

Moselio Schaechter, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, was born in Milan, Italy, in 1928. He was a significant contributor to the fields of science, academia, and mycology, and built an internationally renowned Microbiology Department at Tufts that was known not only for its science but for its culture and sense of community. Elio made a difference in whatever he touched.

It would be impossible to exaggerate how much Elio loved life. He was a kind and warm person with a terrific sense of humor and an enthusiasm for science and education. He will be remembered as a favorite professor, an important mentor, and an inspiration to the many who worked with him. He was also a very caring and loving husband and father.

In 1940, his family emigrated to Quito, Ecuador, where he was raised and educated. There, he attended Instituto Nacional Mejía, the most prestigious Ecuadorian school. He received an M.A. in bacteriology from the University of Kansas in 1952 and a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1954. After graduation, he was drafted into the United States Army and worked at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research studying rickettsia. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, Denmark, remaining there until 1958.

Returning to the United States to begin his independent research career, Elio spent four years at the then-new medical school at the University of Florida before moving to Tufts University, where he would remain for the next 33 years. During his tenure at Tufts, he served 23 years as chair of the Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, became a Distinguished Professor in 1987, and received the medical students' teaching award 11 times. Elio retired from Tufts in 1995 and relocated to San Diego, California, where he served as an adjunct professor at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego.

Elio was an Honorary Member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), serving as its president in 1984, and chaired the editorial board of its newsletter, ASM News. He became a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 1974 and served on its board of governors from 1997 to 2000. He authored or edited several foundational textbooks in microbiology, and the ASM established the Moselio Schaechter Distinguished Service Award in his honor to recognize members who contribute to scientific research and education in the developing world.

Passionate about public outreach and science communication, Elio co-edited the ASM-sponsored microbiology blog Small Things Considered and co-hosted the This Week in Microbiology podcast.

In 1953, Elio married his first wife, Barbara Ruth Thompson. He is survived by their children: Judith Anita of Philadelphia and John Nathaniel of Canton, Massachusetts. They loved him deeply, and he was profoundly proud of them, cherishing their accomplishments and their bond as a family.

In August 1990, Elio reconnected with a childhood friend from the Jewish community in Quito, Edith Koppel. They married in 1994, and Elio relocated from Boston to San Diego. Through this marriage, Elio gained a new and extended family. He was beloved by his three stepchildren-Tom Koppel (Pam Koppel) of Frederick, Maryland; Jeanny Davidow of Los Angeles, California; and Steven Koppel (Monique Koppel) of Rockville, Maryland. He is also survived by his nine grandchildren, David Koppel of Denver CO, Josh Koppel (Zahvi Koppel) of Potomac, MD and Rebecca Koppel (Evan Dubchansky) of Philadelphia, Daniel Davidow (Mallory Davidow) of San Francisco, Zoe Davidow of San Francisco, Arielle Knoll (Jonah Knoll), of Los Angeles, Erin Caruso (Enzo Caruso) of Germantown MD, Amit Koppel of Washington DC, Mia Koppel of Rockville MD; and three great grandchildren, Eitan Koppel, Raya Koppel and Ezri Koppel

Elio treated all nine grandchildren as if they were his own, immersing himself in their triumphs and supporting them in times of need. Among his many cherished experiences with them was an elder hostel program in which he and Edith took each grandchild on a one-week intergenerational outdoor adventure. He will be greatly missed by them all.