John Clark Sutherland and Betsy Blake Middleton met on a blind date in the fall semester of 1961. John was a senior at Georgia Tech while Betsy was a freshman at Emory University. They were inseparable after meeting. While their majors were different, they would study together all the time.

In spring 1962, John graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physics.

Betsy is named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for “ her outstanding contributions to understanding and characterizing the impact of DNA damage induced by low-dose radiation in higher organisms and repair of that damage.”

Betsy gives a videoconference seminar titled, “The Case of the UV-Sensitive Rice: An International Detective Story.” Archived in the National Institutes of Health Videocasting and Podcasting website (https://videocast.nih.gov/default.asp), the video gives a rare opportunity to see and hear Betsy in action.

The Fluorescence Omnilyzer is a device that detects visible, ultraviolet, and near-infrared light and can be used as a detector for fluorescence techniques. Developed by John with others, the Fluorescence Omnilyzer won an R&D 100 Award in 1997.

In the mid-1990s, Betsy shifted her focus to DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation.

The College of Sciences celebrated the establishment of the Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Dean’s Chair in the College of Sciences on April 21, 2016, at the Peachtree Club, in Atlanta, Georgia. 
Following are excerpts from remarks by Dean Paul M. Goldbart.

“This is an extraordinary moment in the life of a college. The establishment of its dean’s chair enables every dean, from this time on, to help the College soar! Our gratitude runs deep.

On Dec. 31, 2015, College of Sciences Dean Paul M. Goldbart and his wife, School of Psychology Professor Jenny Singleton, were on the way to a New Year’s Eve gathering with family in London, England. “Up dinks an email from College of Sciences Director of Development Art Wasserman,” Goldbart recalls.