In memoriam: Charles Kulpa, professor emeritus of biological sciences
Charles “Chuck” Frank Kulpa Jr., professor emeritus in the Department of Biological Sciences, died April 30 in South Bend. He was 80.
Kulpa was a respected scholar and professor of environmental and applied microbiology for 40 years. He studied the metabolism of microbes, including bacteria, and investigated topics including their ability to degrade toxic pollutants in the environment.
“Chuck used a novel combination of molecular, biochemical and cellular approaches to determine how microbes detoxified these pollutants, and he was among the first microbiologists to embrace the new field of ‘biotechnology’ that is now so fundamental to science,” said Professor Gary Lamberti, whose office was next to Kulpa’s in Galvin Life Science Center.
A triple graduate of the University of Michigan (with bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees) and avid Wolverine football fan, Kulpa began working as a professor at the University of Notre Dame in 1972 and retired in 2012.
“He was an experimentalist. He enjoyed talking about the details of all sorts of lab procedures and was curious about everything in the science news and enjoyed discussing current topics with colleagues,” said Professor Joseph O’Tousa. “This was key to how he approached his course and lab teaching assignments.
“Yet he would also want to talk to me about family news and other things going on outside of work. His friendship provided an important perspective for me in balancing these life activities. I imagine his students benefited from this as well.”
Intellectually curious, Kulpa frequently took advantage of novel opportunities. For instance, when Kulpa studied how to remediate polluted areas by “seeding” them with microbes, he speculated that he would not find suitable microbes in the Midwest because much of the soil has been polluted by industry.
When Lamberti mentioned that he was traveling to Alaska for some research, Kulpa had an idea.
“One day he asked me, ‘Gary, can you bring me some dirt from Alaska?’” Lamberti said. “He explained that he needed the dirt to search for bacteria that he can culture because Alaska has low pollution.
“Dutifully, I brought him back vials of soil from remote areas of Alaska, and he was thrilled to find some new microbes to test in his lab.”
At the same time, Kulpa was down to earth and, when he was department chair, he allowed students to throw pies in his face for a fundraiser, Lamberti shared. “I think Chuck enjoyed it more than the students.”
According to Kulpa’s obituary, he was an avid golfer and played on the green of St. Andrew’s in Scotland, an experience that held deep meaning for him. He also enjoyed traveling and sharing his travel stories with all who would listen. Kulpa is survived by his wife, four children, 18 grandchildren, a great-grandchild, a brother and a sister.
“He cherished his family,” O’Tousa said. “ He was beaming whenever he talked of the many times he and Loretta and their farm would be the destination spot for a summer week with their grandkids or their treks to the east coast to visit their grandchildren.”
Visitation will be from 12 to 2 p.m. Saturday (May 11) at Brown Funeral Home, 521 E. Main Street, Niles.
Latest Faculty & Staff
- Law School Professor Derek Muller joins CNN as contributor for 2024 presidential electionNationally recognized election law scholar Derek T. Muller, a professor of law at the University of Notre Dame Law School, has joined CNN as a contributor for the 2024 election cycle to provide his perspective and context to the network’s coverage of the presidential race.
- In memoriam: Rev. Gustavo Gutiérrez, O.P., renowned Notre Dame theologian, father of ‘liberation theology’Rev. Gustavo Gutiérrez, O.P., professor emeritus of theology at Notre Dame and widely regarded as the “father of liberation theology,” died Tuesday (Oct. 22) in Lima, Peru. He was 96.
- Notre Dame Forum to present ‘Fr. TED Talks’ on Catholic social tradition, featuring President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., and Dr. Jim O’ConnellHonoring the legacy of legendary University of Notre Dame President Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., the 2024-25 Notre Dame Forum will host “Fr. TED Talks: Ideas from the Catholic Social Tradition That We Find Inspiring,” a two-night festival on Oct. 28 and 29.
- Democrats and Republicans agree on one thing: Censoring hate speechIn an era of intense polarization, Democrats and Republicans have historically, and mistakenly, believed that members of the other party prioritize protecting certain types or victims of hate speech over others based on stereotypes or their affiliation with those potentially vulnerable groups. New research from the University of Notre Dame, however, revealed that partisans generally agree on what to censor when it comes to the target, source and severity of hate speech.
- ND Expert: Han Kang, first Korean writer to win Nobel Prize in literature, ‘has irrevocably changed the landscape’On Oct. 10, the Nobel Prize in literature was awarded to Han Kang, the first Asian woman writer and the first Korean writer to win the prize. According to Hayun Cho, an assistant professor of Korean literature and popular culture at the University of Notre Dame, Han’s win is moving for many, including for readers of the Korean diaspora.
- Economist Kirk Doran wins UK’s Panmure House Prize honoring interdisciplinary researchKirk Doran, an associate professor in the Department of Economics at Notre Dame, has won the 2024 Adam Smith Panmure House Prize. The prize, named after the forefather of economics, celebrates those who embody Smith’s empiricism and long-term interdisciplinary thinking in their research.