William B. Russel, a former dean of Princeton’s graduate school and longtime chemical and biological engineering professor, died Sept. 24 at age 77. During Russel’s service as dean from 2002 to 2014, the graduate school increased diversity in its student body, revamped housing with the completion of the Lakeside apartments, and developed “Dissertation Completion Enrollment” (DCE) status, which expanded funding for Ph.D. students. Russel’s research in engineering centered on materials science, including the behavior, structure, and dynamics of colloidal systems, according to a biography published by the Dean of the Faculty’s office. He transferred to emeritus status in 2017 after 43 years on the faculty.

Janet Martin, the first woman to earn tenure in Princeton’s Department of Classics, died Aug. 30. She was 84. Martin, a scholar of literature and history of the Middle Ages, came to the University in 1973 and was an early participant in the Women’s Classical Caucus, an organization that aims to incorporate feminist and gender-informed perspectives in the field and promote equity and diversity. On campus, she chaired the faculty committee that advocated for a program in women’s studies (though she resigned as chair before its approval, in protest of the administration’s lack of support). She retired from the faculty in 2010.

Joseph Kohn *56, described by peers as a major figure in modern mathematical analysis, died Sept. 12 at age 91. Kohn was known for his work on the interaction between partial differential equations and functions of several complex variables, according to a biography from the Dean of the Faculty’s office. He earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from Princeton and returned to join the faculty in 1968, teaching for the next 40 years. Kohn chaired the mathematics department in three separate stints. He also was active in the Princeton Go Club, playing the ancient board game that he first picked up as a graduate student.

Victor Laurie, a longtime member of the chemistry faculty, died Sept. 13. He was 88. Laurie’s research included using spectroscopy to study molecular structure, according to a family obituary. He also edited the Annual Review of Physical Chemistry and The Journal of Chemical Physics. Laurie had a longstanding interest in computers — dating back to his Ph.D. studies at Harvard — and in retirement worked to educate senior citizens about the use of personal computers.

Robert Lisk, a biology professor who directed Princeton’s Program in Neuroscience in the 1980s, died Sept. 12 at age 88. Lisk studied neuroendocrine regulation, including the biochemical mechanisms involved in animal reproduction. He transferred to emeritus status in 1990 after teaching at the University for 30 years. In retirement, Lisk lived in Ontario, Canada, and embraced his passion for music, playing the organ for his local church congregation, according to a family obituary.