Personnel > Marion Kirk
Marion Kirk's Retirement Reception
Marion Kirk
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Happy Retirement Marion
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Marion Kirk, Senior Research Associate, and original staff member of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Mass Spectrometry Shared Facility that was established in 1993, will retire as of December 31, 2008. A reception was held in his honor at the Pittman Center for Advanced Medical Studies on December 4, 2008. Marion provided expertise in mass spectrometry to numerous current and past UAB investigators (see his extensive list of publications). After a 29-year experience at the Southern Research Institute, he was recruited to UAB to operate the newly purchased PE-Sciex API 3 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer.
He rapidly built a clientele that included Dr. Ahmad Safavy from the Cancer Center who is still a frequent user 15 years later. Others who benefited from his skills included several who later formed the UAB Center for Free Radical Biology [Dr. Bruce Freeman (now at University of Pittsburgh), Dr. Joe Beckman (now at Linus Pauling Institute and Oregon State University), Dr. Sadis Matalon and Dr. Victor Darley-Usmar]. Two favorite friends from Dr. Gerry Hart's group in Biochemistry, Dr. Ken Greis and Dr. Bob Cole), have gone on to set up Mass Spectrometry Shared Facilities at the University of Cincinnati and Johns Hopkins University respectively. Importantly, Marion was a good friend and teacher to many students and postdoctoral fellows at UAB. Videos containing best wishes from Dr. Humero Rubbo (University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay) and Dr. Mutay Aslan (Akdeniz University Medical School, Antalya, Turkey) were shared. Addresses regarding his splendid career were provided by Dr. Stephen Barnes (Director of the Mass Spectrometry Shared Facility), Dr. Jan Novak (Microbiology) who gave a slide presentation, Dr. Tika Benveniste (Associate Director for Basic Research in the Cancer Center) and Lori Coward (SRI), a former member of the Mass Spectrometry Shared Facility. Dr. Helen Kim, Co-Director of the Shared Facility, presented Marion with a UAB captain's chair with a brass plaque engraved with best wishes and congratulations from all his friends along with a UAB sweatshirt (to go with the chair). Colleagues in the Shared Facility gave Marion an official BAMA wristwatch. In addition, letters and emails from other friends and colleagues [Dr. Beatriz Alvarez (Montevideo), Dr. Brenda Boersma (NCI), Dr. Bob Diasio (Mayo Clinic), Dr. Alvaro Estevez (Burke Research Institute and Cornell University), Dr. Mike Howell (Emeritus, Samford University), Ann Moore (now Rosser), Dr. Mindan Sfakianos (Genetech), Dr. Roman Tuma (University of Leeds) and Larry Williams (University of Iowa)] were compiled into a bound book for Marion's perusal. Marion is married to Judy Kirk, who retired recently herself from having taught first grade for 30 years; they have three sons and two grandchildren. Judy was able to be at the reception honoring her husband.
Judy White, Marion, Steve, Archer Smith,
Tika Benveniste & Mike Bertram |
Judy, Marion, Helen & Steve |
Marion & Judy |
Marion in UAB Chair & Steve |
Ahmad Safavy - largest user |
Lori Coward - former colleague |
