CSR's Liddel Retires, Takes to Skies
Dr. Gerald Liddel is retiring after 30 years in government, the last 17 of which were spent with the Center for Scientific Review. He was scientific review administrator of the microbial physiology and genetics study section, subcommittee 2, generally known as microbial genetics.
Dr. Gerald Liddel
He received his Ph.D. in microbiology from Pennsylvania State University in 1964. After 2 postdoctoral years in the department of microbiology at Case Western Reserve University Medical School, Liddel became senior research microbiologist at Merck & Co., where he worked on commercial fermentations for riboflavin and the antibiotic cephamycin. He then joined the Food and Drug Administration as a microbiologist in the Division of Anti-Infective Drug Products, where he reviewed new drug applications for antibiotics. In 1977, he became an SRA and referral officer in the Grants Review Branch at the National Cancer Institute. He came to CSR (then called the Division of Research Grants) in 1981 as SRA of microbial genetics and in 1986 also became a referral officer for applications in microbiology.
His immediate retirement plans include several weeks of volunteer work in the mountains of Costa Rica, helping to build a school in an Indian village. Longer range projects include developing more skills related to his favorite hobby—flying. Already a licensed pilot, Liddel will "take to the skies" after updating his certification. In addition, he will continue to read scientific textbooks for the blind at an organization called Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, where he has already volunteered more than 1,000 hours. And, of course, there must always be time for his granddaughter Clara, who lives in the D.C. area.