Stanley Leibo, noted biologist and professor at the University of New Orleans (UNO), died of cancer March 25, 2014. He was 76.
Leibo graduated from Brown in 1958 and earned two master’s degrees from Vermont before his Ph.D. in biology from Princeton in 1963. That year, he joined the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In 1972, Leibo and two colleagues successfully preserved embryos of mammals that had been frozen, using liquid nitrogen and helium — the foundation for the current worldwide use of freezing embryos in human fertility clinics.
In 1981, he became head of research and development at Rio Vista International. There, he invented a one-step process for the transfer of cattle embryos, revolutionizing the industry. Then he worked at Baylor Medical School (1988–1990) and the University of Guelph (Canada, from 1990–2000). He joined UNO in 2000. Posthumously, UNO honored him for his undergraduate teaching. He was also a well-regarded mentor of adult students.
In 2009, Leibo received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Embryo Transfer Society. His daughter, Beth, described him as a down-to-earth, giving, and genuinely humble human being.
Leibo was predeceased by Bette, his wife of 46 years. He is survived by two children and two grandchildren.
Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.