Draft:Dorothy M. Skinner

Dorothy May Skinner (May 22, 1930 - February 12, 2005) was an American Carcinologist. She is best known for her contributions in crustacean biology. Her dissertation research focused on Gecarcinus lateralis, the Bermuda land crab. She has trained 22 students and post-doctoral fellows who currently hold positions at the National Institutes of Health, Georgetown University, and Colorado State University. Skinner has also authored nearly 90 publications which are still cited to this day and spoken in more than 25 symposia.

Life, Education, and Career

Life

Born in Newton, Massachusetts, Skinner was the youngest of three siblings. In July 24, 1965, she married John Cook, a mammalian physiologist. Together, they had no children. Dorothy M. Skinner died on February 12, 2005, from complications of Parkinson's disease. She wished for her ashes to be buried at sea due to her lifelong love and commitment to the marine ecosystem.

Education and Career

Skinner graduated from Watertown Highschool where she was named Best Girl Athlete. Following graduation, she attended Tufts University where she earned her B.A. in biology and chemistry in 1952. In her junior year, she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She was also appointed as the Assistant Dean of Admissions at Tufts and was given the responsibility for admitting two classes to the School of Arts and Sciences.

She continued to Harvard to obtain her PhD in 1954–1958, during which she began her crustacean study. After completing post-doctoral research in the biochemistry departments of Harvard, Yale, and Brandeis, she embarked on an academic journey that led her to the New York University School of Medicine in 1962. There, she assumed the role of an assistant professor within the Physiology and Biophysics department, where she delved into teaching and research. In 1966, Skinner began her career within the Biology Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where she contributed significantly to scientific advancements until her retirement.

Research

Skinner is recognized within the marine research community for her contributions to the development of Crustacean Biology. In 1962, Dorothy's dissertation research resulted in a fundamental publication on the structure and metabolism of Gecarcinus lateralis integument during different phases of the intermolt cycle. Her work built upon the foundation laid by Pierre Drach in 1939 where he described the stages of the intermolt cycle. Several crustacean physiologists and endocrinologists have since conducted a substantial amount of study based on Skinner's research on this topic. In 1975, Dorothy Skinner made significant points in understanding a crucial aspect of crustacean biology how their muscles break down before they molt, or shed their shells. Through her collaboration with Don Mykles starting in 1979, their research highlighted the intricate mechanisms behind muscle atrophy, highlighting the pivotal role of specific enzymes and proteins in this physiological transformation.

Awards and Honors

• 1993: Award for Excellence in Research (The Crustacean Society)

• 1993: Scholar-Athlete Award from Tufts

• 1990: Technical Achievement Award from Martin Marietta Energy Systems

• 1987: Sandra K. Masur Senior Leadership Award, Women in Cell Biology Career Recognition Award of the American Society for Cell Biology

Notable Peer Reviewed Works

• Interacting Factors in the Control of the Crustacean Molt Cycle
• Satellite DNA's
• Toward an Understanding of Satellite DNA Function in Crustacea
• The Structure and Metabolism of a Crustacean Integumentary Tissue during a Molt Cycle
• Loss of Limbs as a Stimulus to Ecdysis in Brachyura (True Crabs)