探花视频

Dr. Peter Abramoff探花视频

MilwaukeeWI53201United States of America

Emeritus Professor

Faculty 1955-1989

Dr. Abramoff, a native of Quebec, Canada, received his bachelor鈥檚 degree from the University of Western Ontario. In 1952, he completed his master鈥檚 degree in zoology at the University of Detroit. Dr. Abramoff joined 探花视频 in 1955 after graduating with his Ph.D. in immunology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Abramoff succeeded Dr. John W. Saunders as Department Chair in 1966. Dr. Abramoff held the chair position for nearly 25 years, the longest tenure of any College of Liberal Arts Chair to date.  

Dr. Abramoff was regarded as an excellent and innovative instructor. In 1971, he was selected as an Outstanding Educator for America. He was known to go to extraordinary lengths to obtain support for graduate students in the department, and he mentored over 40 graduate students himself. Dr. Abramoff often solicited funding for new teaching equipment to excite and motivate the department鈥檚 students. In 1978, he requested funds to purchase a new teaching tool, 鈥淢ulti-Image Lectures in Introductory Biology." These presentations included taped narration, music and sound effects, and projected images from several slide projectors. During the 1980s, Dr. Abramoff was pioneered the separation of lecture and laboratories. Creating stand-alone laboratory classes allowed for greater flexibility in course offerings, increased student-faculty contact, provided specialized facilities and more sophisticated equipment for each laboratory course, and reduced the overall number of courses taught by the department faculty.

Dr. Abramoff was also recognized as a highly-capable administrator. Many of our current faculty joined the department during Abramoff鈥檚 tenure, including Dr. James Courtright, Dr. Robert Fitts, Dr. Gail Waring, Dr. Stephen Munroe, Dr. Dale Noel, Dr. Kathy Karrer, Dr. James Buchanan, and Dr. James Maki. 

Dr. Abramoff鈥檚 impressive scholarly pursuits are evident in his extensive library of published material. Between 1956 and 1990, he published more than 35 peer-reviewed papers, multiple lab manuals, and two textbooks. Dr. Abramoff was awarded many prestigious research grants to fund his work, including large grants from NIH, NSF, US Public Health Service, and the National Heart and Lung Institute, among others. His research program attracted a large number of graduate students to the department and focused national attention on the quality of research potential in the Milwaukee area. In 1978, Dr. Abramoff received the Wehr Distinguished Professorship, recognizing his breadth of scholarly activities, devotion to 探花视频, and vigorous leadership of the Biology Department. 

Primarily, Dr. Abramoff was an immunologist, but his research program covered many areas. During his tenure at 探花视频, he made advancements in several areas of biology. His early work considered the immunological implications of antigen competition at receptor sites. In the late 1950鈥檚, Dr. Abramoff examined the effects of x-irradiation on exteriorized blood to determine if anti-body producing tissues, such as the spleen and lymph nodes, are affected if the blood is the only tissue in the body that is exposed to x-ray radiation. During this period, he also conducted cancer research attempting to isolate and utilize tumor-specific antibodies. Other research examined the evolutionary origin and possibility of transplants in the genetically identical amazon molly, an unusual tropical fish that evolved as a female species. From the late 1970鈥檚 to the early 1990鈥檚, much of Dr. Abramoff鈥檚 work was on the immunobiology of the lung. 

In addition to his academic and scholarly successes, Dr. Abramoff was an influential member of a number of national and international professional organizations and societies. He was a twenty year member of the Reticuloendothelial Society, and served in various roles through the years, including President in the early 1980s. The society focused on the system of cells and tissues involved in host defense mechanisms that protect the body against disease. Dr. Abramoff organized large events for this society in Milwaukee in the early 1980s. 

In 1984, Dr. Abramoff established the Distinguished Lecture Series with the goal of bringing six internationally renowned speakers to campus each academic year through annual symposium during spring break. The first 探花视频 Life Sciences Symposium brought 200 attendees to Milwaukee to discuss the topic, 鈥淕enetic Transformation of Eukaryotes.鈥� In 1985, the Oliver Smith Memorial Lecture and endowment fund was established to recognize Dr. Smith鈥檚 24 years of service to the Biology Department. The seminar series and Smith lecture continue today with additional support by the Scholl endowment.

In 1982, Dr. Abramoff proposed a 探花视频 Biology Visiting Committee for improved interaction with local industry and to serve as a presidential advisory committee in the matters of long-term growth of biological training and research at 探花视频. In 1983, the proposed committee held its first meeting as the Advisory Council to the Biology Department with Dr. Jack M. Siegal of P-L Biochemicals and Dr. Gary W. Sanderson of Universal Foods as first chair and vice chair. By 1985, the board was providing basic support for existing department activities, and also acted as a catalyst for new activities and developments for the department.  

Throughout his career, Dr. Abramoff regularly served as a consultant on scientific panels, biology education, and to biotechnology companies. As the biotechnology industry in Wisconsin took off in the 1980s, Dr. Abramoff鈥檚 expertise as a consultant was sought by Governor Tommy Thompson. Dr. Abramoff was appointed to the Governor鈥檚 Council on Biotechnology, created to identify Wisconsin鈥檚 strengths and weaknesses of the biotechnology industry infrastructure, formulate policy, enhance programs of research, and to formulate a cohesive strategy to stimulate economic development in biotechnology.  

Dr. Abramoff stepped down as department chairman in 1989, and retired from 探花视频 shortly thereafter. In the early 1990s, Dr. Abramoff joined FOTODYNE Inc., a worldwide leader in the manufacture and sales of laboratory instruments, located in Hartland, WI, and eventually was named president and CEO of the company in 1994. Dr. Abramoff and his wife live in Brookfield, WI.