Gerard A. O’Donovan, 76, professor of biological sciences, died Feb. 19. He had taught at UNT since 1984, serving as chair of the biology department from 1984 to 1999. He supported many students as a member of the Pre-Professional Advisory Committee and served as a mentor to more than 200 master’s and doctoral students during his career. He taught courses in microbiology and medical bacteriology and received numerous teaching awards. A native of Ireland, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at University College Cork and his doctorate at the University of California, Davis. He began his lifelong study of pyrimidine metabolism in bacteria as a postdoctoral researcher at UC-Berkeley. His research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Welch Foundation and NATO, among other organizations. Prior to joining UNT, he served on the faculty at Texas A&M University. A celebration of his life was held at UNT’s Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building.