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Marc W. Perkovic

April 4, 2006

Dr. Marc W. Perkovic, associate professor of chemistry at Western Michigan University, died April 1 in Kalamazoo. He was 45.

Perkovic, who died from complications of open-heart surgery, joined the faculty in 1996. He came to WMU from Wichita State University, where he was director of research instrumentation. He also was a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Fellow at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and a research associate at the U.S. Department of Energy's Notre Dame Radiation Laboratory.

During his years at WMU, Perkovic's research interests covered such areas as solar photochemistry and environmental photochemistry. He received two major awards from the National Science Foundation and another from the American Chemical Society for research that focused on the development of molecules capable of indicating the presence of environmental contaminants through luminescence.

Earlier this year, he was named one of the winners of a President's Innovation Fund award for a project he led that is aimed at developing Bronco Biodiesel, an alternative fuel source produced by recycling waste vegetable oil.

Perkovic earned his bachelor's degree from Cleveland State University in 1984 and a doctoral degree from Wayne State University in 1990.

A memorial celebration of his life is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday, April 9, at WMU's Lee Honors College, with an open house to follow. A scholarship fund has been set up in his memory through the WMU Department of Chemistry.

For more information about the service or the scholarship fund, contact Dr. Steven B. Bertman, professor of chemistry, at steven.bertman@wmich.edu or (269) 287-2866.

Media contact: Cheryl Roland, (269) 387-8400, cheryl.roland@wmich.edu

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