Phil Manire was a friend and mentor to many people in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, serving as Chair from 1966 to 1979. The Manire years were marked by a major growth in faculty and international recognition for molecular biology, microbiology, and immunology research at UNC. However, Phil’s most lasting professional contribution was his nurturing leadership style that cemented a spirit of collegiality and family among a department of very diverse interests and personalities. Twenty-one years after his retirement, Phil died in his sleep on November 4, 2010…
In 2004, the Department of Microbiology & Immunology set up a trust fund in honor of Phil Manire. Started from a patent royalty, the fund was originally created as a remembrance of Phil’s contributions to the intellectual life of the department and his devotion to graduate education. The fund provides for an annual award to recognize outstanding research by a senior graduate student in the department. Nominations for the award are solicited from the faculty each Spring, and a committee evaluates the applicants based on the quality and significance of the student’s research. The award is $1000 and is considered to be the most prestigious departmental recognition of a graduate student’s research accomplishments.
Phil’s children have requested that donations in his memory be directed to this fund as a continuing tribute to his career of commitment to graduate research and education. If you wish to contribute to this fund, please make your check payable to “University of North Carolina” and note on the check that is for the “Manire Memorial Fund.” Be sure to include the name(s) formally associated with the donation and your current address, and mail the check to:
Dr. William Goldman
Chair, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Campus Box #7290
Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7290