Nicholas Alexander Matwiyoff

NICHOLAS ALEXANDER MATWIYOFF August, 1937-February, 2015 Beloved husband and father, devoted grandfather and father-in-law, eminent scientist, superb raconteur and conversationalist, and good friend and colleague, Nick quietly passed at home on Saturday, February 21, 2015. His boyhood was spent in Rogers City, MI. He earned his BS in chemistry from Michigan Technological University in 1959 and received his MS/Ph.D. at University of Illinois, Champagne/Urbana graduating in 1962. He and Janet Hogberg Matwiyoff married that same year and went to Stanford University, for a year of Post-Doctoral studies, then joined the Penn State chemistry faculty for five years, mentoring many graduate students and publishing widely in nuclear magnetic resonance and spectroscopy. Summers were spent consulting at Los Alamos National Labs and in 1968, he accepted a position at CNC division at LANL, eventually moving into life sciences for studies and applications for magnetic resonance. In those years he and his family lived in Santa Fe, making many friends there. He was asked by Gov. Bruce King’s Science Advisor and innovator to help set up NM Centers for Technical Excellence around the state. He was most influential in establishing the UNM Medical School’s Center for Non-invasive Diagnosis in 1981 (now The Mind Research Network) using one of the earliest and largest magnets for what would become known as MRI for research and medical application. He encouraged interdisciplinary studies among medical and basic science departments nationally and internationally and created the earliest short courses and materials in how MRI could be interpreted and used for patients. At the same time, he represented the United States several times at IAEA special meetings in Vienna and Leipzig for cooperation in using stable isotopes in agricultural endeavors, Leipzig afforded many hair-raising experiences for a man of Russian origins behind the Iron Curtain! Among positions held at UNM were CNID Director, Deputy Director of the earliest Cancer Center under Tom Tomasi, MD, and later Chair of Cell Biology. His last professional decade was spent as a neuroscientist, chairing the National Institutes of Mental Health’s Neuroscience Committee. In his years since retirement, he has been a voracious student of world economy and finance and how politics shapes those institutions. Nick is survived by his wife of 52 years, Janet, his son Gregory N. Matwiyoff, MD. Commander, Medical Corps, US Navy, daughter-in-law, Shannon Matwiyoff, the lights of his life grandchildren, Cassidy and Nicholas, all of San Diego; the cousins he was raised with as a brother, Yuldine Bellmore, of Rogers City, Delphine Budreau (Frank) of Kennebunk, ME, Delbert Jachcik of Detroit; and his brother-in-law, David K. Hogberg Ph.D. (Patricia) of Marshall, MI. He and Janet were blessed with the steady care and support of George Comerci, MD, friend and colleague, Walter Forman, MD, care givers for many months Barbara and Christy, and in his last months, Alliance Hospice nurses, Tammy and Denise and other Alliance staff. Cremation has taken place, and family, oldest friends and colleagues will attend a private Remembrance Gathering in the family home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Nicholas Matwiyoff Endowed Scholarship, and mailed to: Office of Development/ Michigan Tech Fund, c/o Eric Halonen, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI 49931-1295, or to a charity of your choice. FRENCH – Wyoming 7121 Wyoming Blvd. NE (505) 823-9400