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Marilyn Gayle Barrios Kilgen is an American microbiologist and seafood safety scientist. She is the Alcee Fortier Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at Nicholls State University.

Personal life and education

Growing up, Kilgen thought about becoming a doctor but changed her plans after her mother died of breast cancer. She chose to attend her father's alma mater for post-secondary education, Nicholls State University.[1]

Kilgen received her bachelor's degree in science from Nicholls State University in 1966 before earning her doctorate in microbiology from Auburn University in 1970. As a freshman at Nicholls State University, Kilgen studied under Professor Samuel Burton "Burt" Wilson III who left an impact on her academic future. At the time of his death in 2004, she stated that Wilson "left her better prepared for graduate school than many students from larger universities."[2] After returning from her graduate studies, she worked alongside Wilson in the biology department as a fellow professor.[3]

She married her husband Ronald H. Kilgen. Before his death in 2018, they had three children together.[4]

Career

Kilgen returned to Nicholls State University as a professor on August 23, 1971 after completing her graduate studies.[5] In 1977, she served as the Pre-Professional Medical Association's faculty adviser.[6] She became head of the biology department in 1994[7] while working three terms as a U.S. Secretary of Agriculture appointee.[6] As Department Head, Kilgen created the University's first master's degree program in marine and environmental biology.[8][9] The year of its creation, Kilgen helped the university procure a boat for marine and environmental biology. The boat was named after Deanna Bonvillain, Kilgen's former administrative assistant.[10] In 1997, Kilgen was approached by Oysterman Ernie Voisin of Motivatit Seafoods in Houma to help him research high-pressure water processing and its potential for killing food-borne bacteria. Together, they discovered that intense hydrostatic pressure killed the bacterium while also leaving the oyster shucked.[11] This allowed workers to no longer shuck oysters by hand, therefore improving labor costs.[12] After Hurricane Katrina, Kilgen began advocating for the university to fund a seafood institute.[13] That same year, she was selected for the Louisiana Center for Women in Government and Business Hall of Fame.[14] Later in 2009, the federal government agreed to spend more than $325,000 to help create a seafood institute at the university.[15] She eventually stepped down as Department Head to become the Director of the Institute for Seafood Studies.[13]

In 2011, Kilgen helped the university acquire a 25-foot research boat to survey oyster beds in the Barataria-Terrebonne estuaries. The boat, named after the late Samuel Burton "Burt" Wilson III, was procured using $350,000 in donated funds.[16] The following year, Kilgen retired from teaching and was honored by the university with emeritus status.[17] She also sat on the 2012 Louisiana Center for Women in Government and Business Hall of Fame committee.[18] On November 2, 2013, the university dedicated the microbiology lab #208, which Kilgen used to teach cell biology, in her honor.[7][19] In 2019, Kilgen was appointed to the Nicholls Alumni Federation 2019–2020 Board of Directors.[20] She also sits on the Committee On Evaluation Of The Safety Of Fishery Products.[21]

References

  1. ^ "Leaving a Nicholls legacy" (PDF). media.almabaseapp.com. p. 15. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  2. ^ Page, Jennifer (September 1, 2004). "Former professor missed by Nicholls". thenichollsworth.com. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  3. ^ McBride, Daniel (April 21, 2011). "Nicholls biologists acquire new research boat". houmatoday.com. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  4. ^ "Ronald H. Kilgen". legacy.com. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  5. ^ "Five-Year Program Review Master of Science in Marine and Environmental Biology" (PDF). nicholls.edu. p. 18. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  6. ^ a b "2018-19 Nicholls Alumni Federation Board Election Nominee Bios". nichollsalumni.org. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Part of The University". thenichollsworth.com. November 7, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  8. ^ Wilson, Pauline (February 8, 2012). "Master's program draws students". thenichollsworth.com. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  9. ^ Hauler, Shannon (January 30, 2002). "Biology master's to be offered in fall". thenichollsworth.com. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  10. ^ Davis, Zavier (January 23, 2012). "Former biology secretary remembered in Gouaux". thenichollsworth.com. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  11. ^ Hockstader, Lee (September 22, 2003). "Discovery Makes World His Oyster". Washington Post. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  12. ^ "Biology at Nicholls Enhances Regional Life" (PDF). ulsystem.net. p. 34. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  13. ^ a b "Nicholls to get money for seafood research institute". December 14, 2009. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  14. ^ Dishman, Jaime (March 25, 2005). "Jubilee fun at Nicholls". houmatoday.com. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  15. ^ McBride, Daniel (December 11, 2009). "Nicholls to get money for seafood institute". houmatoday.com. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  16. ^ Kalec, Will (August 1, 2011). "Young Artist Is Bound for D.C." myneworleans.com. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  17. ^ "Nicholls honors four retirees with emeritus status". nicholls.edu. January 23, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  18. ^ "Connie Chung to headline NSU government affair". houmatimes.com. March 11, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  19. ^ "Nicholls Lab Dedicated in Honor of Dr. Marilyn Kilgen". nicholls.edu. November 6, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  20. ^ "Nicholls Alumni Federation Announces 2019-2020 Board of Directors". nicholls.edu. April 18, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  21. ^ "Committee On Evaluation Of The Safety Of Fishery Products". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Kilgen