Bev DeCoster (1958–2025)
To the Bowdoin community,
We learned the sad news this week that Beverly Sue DeCoster, laboratory instructor emerita in the Department of Chemistry, passed away at the age of sixty-seven.
Born on January 8, 1958, in Honolulu, Bev grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and graduated from Belmont High School in 1976. She earned a BS degree in chemistry at the University of Dayton in 1980—the first in her family to graduate from college. She joined the chemistry staff at Bowdoin in 1986 and retired in 2018.
During her time at the College, Bev was an essential instructor for the department’s physical chemistry laboratory course and for the laboratory programs of the quantum chemistry and spectroscopy and chemical analysis courses. With her wide-ranging knowledge of chemistry, she also served as a laboratory instructor for courses in introductory, general, organic, and inorganic chemistry.
During the summers, Bev worked alongside Professor of Chemistry Emeritus Ronald Christensen and students to conduct research—much of it focused on the electronic properties of carotenoid pigments. She coauthored several publications with Professor Christensen, including articles that appeared in Photochemistry and Photobiology and The Journal of Physical Chemistry, and she was the primary author of an article on the low-lying electronic states of carotenoids published in Biochimica et Biophysica Acta.
According to Professor Christensen and James Stacy Coles Professor of Natural Sciences Elizabeth Stemmler, Bev played a key role in the development of the laboratory curricula. With her high-level technical and analytical abilities, she was an expert with all the sophisticated instrumentation, equipment, and software used in chemistry courses. When Bev retired, Professor Stemmler referred to her as an instrumentation “whisperer” who passed on her knowledge to many students, teaching them how to use lasers and optics and other sophisticated equipment.
Bev was especially talented at conveying complex mathematical and chemical principles to students at all levels. Students in introductory and advanced courses benefited from her expertise and considerate guidance as she helped them succeed at Bowdoin’s demanding chemistry and biochemistry programs with patience and a smile. She also supported many independent projects, devoting much time and energy to help students excel at what was often their first research experience. Her commitment to the student experience was reflected in the strong and enduring relationships she formed with students. Professor Stemmler notes that “many honors theses contain heartfelt acknowledgements of Bev.”
Bev is survived by her son, Jordan DeCoster, her brothers, Mark and Paul Gantner, and by aunts, cousins, nieces, and nephews. We extend our condolences to her family, friends, and former students and colleagues, with deep gratitude for Bev’s dedication to academic excellence and her unwavering devotion to our students and the College.
Sincerely,
Safa
We learned the sad news this week that Beverly Sue DeCoster, laboratory instructor emerita in the Department of Chemistry, passed away at the age of sixty-seven.
Born on January 8, 1958, in Honolulu, Bev grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and graduated from Belmont High School in 1976. She earned a BS degree in chemistry at the University of Dayton in 1980—the first in her family to graduate from college. She joined the chemistry staff at Bowdoin in 1986 and retired in 2018.
During her time at the College, Bev was an essential instructor for the department’s physical chemistry laboratory course and for the laboratory programs of the quantum chemistry and spectroscopy and chemical analysis courses. With her wide-ranging knowledge of chemistry, she also served as a laboratory instructor for courses in introductory, general, organic, and inorganic chemistry.
During the summers, Bev worked alongside Professor of Chemistry Emeritus Ronald Christensen and students to conduct research—much of it focused on the electronic properties of carotenoid pigments. She coauthored several publications with Professor Christensen, including articles that appeared in Photochemistry and Photobiology and The Journal of Physical Chemistry, and she was the primary author of an article on the low-lying electronic states of carotenoids published in Biochimica et Biophysica Acta.
According to Professor Christensen and James Stacy Coles Professor of Natural Sciences Elizabeth Stemmler, Bev played a key role in the development of the laboratory curricula. With her high-level technical and analytical abilities, she was an expert with all the sophisticated instrumentation, equipment, and software used in chemistry courses. When Bev retired, Professor Stemmler referred to her as an instrumentation “whisperer” who passed on her knowledge to many students, teaching them how to use lasers and optics and other sophisticated equipment.
Bev was especially talented at conveying complex mathematical and chemical principles to students at all levels. Students in introductory and advanced courses benefited from her expertise and considerate guidance as she helped them succeed at Bowdoin’s demanding chemistry and biochemistry programs with patience and a smile. She also supported many independent projects, devoting much time and energy to help students excel at what was often their first research experience. Her commitment to the student experience was reflected in the strong and enduring relationships she formed with students. Professor Stemmler notes that “many honors theses contain heartfelt acknowledgements of Bev.”
Bev is survived by her son, Jordan DeCoster, her brothers, Mark and Paul Gantner, and by aunts, cousins, nieces, and nephews. We extend our condolences to her family, friends, and former students and colleagues, with deep gratitude for Bev’s dedication to academic excellence and her unwavering devotion to our students and the College.
Sincerely,
Safa