Drawing upon nearly 50 years of experience in the fields of biology and academia, Dr. Diane Marie Dudzinski retired in 2012 following a fruitful career that spanned across such subject areas as marine biology, microbiology, ecology and environmental science. From a formative age, she aspired to enter the sciences, and – equipped with the support of her family and teachers – she sought to pursue a career in the discipline. First receiving a Bachelor of Science from Villa Maria College (now part of Gannon University) in 1968, she subsequently attended Fordham University, from which she earned both a Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1970 and 1974, respectively.
While studying toward her doctoral degree, Dr. Dudzinski first taught at Ladycliff College between 1970 and 1971 before advancing to the rank of a full-time professor of biology. During this time, she also taught at Pace University and Manhattan College, where she was promoted from an instructor to assistant professor of biology. After spending some time at the aforementioned academic institutions, Dr. Dudzinski taught as an associate professor and full professor at the College of Santa Fe, as well as serving as chair of the department of science and mathematics, between 1978 and 1986.
In the latter stages of her career, Dr. Dudzinski also served as a biology educator at Mercyhurst College from 1986 to 1991, as well as at Washington State Community College. While at Washington State Community College, she notably taught as a professor of biology from 1991 until her retirement in 2012. During her longstanding tenure in education, Dr. Dudzinski has been noteworthy for her positive attitude and sincere hope in younger generations of aspiring professionals, which has been evident in her teaching style over the decades.
Alongside her educational pursuits, Dr. Dudzinski also served as a consultant in the Environmental-Medical Laboratories in Louisiana, as well as studied controls for environmental pollution in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She previously earned a fellowship from the American Society of Science Educators at the NASA Ames Research Center during the summers of 1982, 1983 and 1984, having thereafter lent her expertise to Closed Environment Life Support Systems at Stanford University in preparation for the space station, noting that she also worked on microbial contaminations that may occur during spaceflight. Most notably, she considers a highlight of her career to be when she was named the first woman participant of the joint United States-USSR Bering Sea expedition.
As a testament to her success, Dr. Dudzinski received the Distinguishable Alumni Award from Villa Maria College in 1986 and the 50-Year Award from Gannon University in 2019. The recipient of a number of grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation, she is thoroughly enjoying her retirement and spends much time snorkeling, swimming, gardening and traveling.
