Elizabeth Storm Williams (November 15, 1951 – December 29, 2004) was an American wildlife veterinarian. She discovered

chronic wasting disease Chronic wasting disease (CWD), sometimes called zombie deer disease, is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) affecting deer. TSEs are a family of diseases thought to be caused by misfolded proteins called prions and include similar dis ...

and is also credited with preventing the extinction of the

black-footed ferret The black-footed ferret (''Mustela nigripes''), also known as the American polecatHeptner, V. G. (Vladimir Georgievich); Nasimovich, A. A; Bannikov, Andrei Grigorovich; Hoffmann, Robert S. (2001)''Mammals of the Soviet Union''Volume: v. 2, pt. 1 ...

Early life and education

Elizabeth Storm Williams was born November 15, 1951 in Columbia, Missouri to parents Martha Storm Williams and Walter F. Williams. Her father was a researcher at the University of Maryland, and one of her early jobs was working in his lab. She received her bachelor's degree in zoology from

University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of Mary ...

. She graduated with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Purdue University in 1977. She then went to Colorado State University, where she completed a residency training program and PhD in veterinary pathology.

Career

Williams discovered

(CWD) in 1978, identifying it as a form of

transmissible spongiform encephalopathy Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of progressive and fatal conditions that are associated with prions and affect the brain and nervous system of many animals, including humans, cattle, and sheep. According to the most ...

, and was later recognized as the foremost expert on CWD in deer and elk in the US. She and her husband are credited with preventing the extinction of

s. She also researched the diseases

brucellosis Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of unpasteurized milk or undercooked meat from infected animals, or close contact with their secretions. It is also known as undulant fever, Malta fever, and Mediterranean fever. The ...

, which affects animals like cattle and elk, and

chytridiomycosis Chytridiomycosis ( ) is an infectious disease in amphibians, caused by the chytrid fungi ''Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis'' and ''Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans''. Chytridiomycosis has been linked to dramatic population declines or extincti ...

, which affects amphibians. She was part of the

Wildlife Disease Association Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animal species (biology), species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous ...

for more than twenty-five years, serving on many committees within the group, including as chair of its Student Activities Committee and Public Awareness Committee. She served on the editorial board of the ''

Journal of Wildlife Diseases The ''Journal of Wildlife Diseases'' is a peer-reviewed quarterly journal published by the Wildlife Disease Association. The journal publishes research papers, case and epizootic reports, review articles, and book reviews on wildlife disease inv ...

'', and was made its Editor in 2000. Williams was also an instructor, teaching at the University of Wyoming and Colorado State University. She was additionally on several national councils, including for the

FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food s ...

United States National Research Council The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (also known as NASEM or the National Academies) are the collective scientific national academy of the United States. The name is used interchangeably in two senses: (1) as an umbrell ...

, and

National Academy of Medicine The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), formerly called the Institute of Medicine (IoM) until 2015, is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, En ...

, as an expert on spongiform encephalopathies.

Personal life

Beth Williams married Edwin Thomas (Tom) Thorne, who was also a wildlife veterinarian, in 1980. Williams and Thorne have been called "one of the most productive husband-and-wife collaborations in the history of American conservation".

Death

Williams and her husband, Tom Thorne, died in a car accident in northern Colorado on December 29, 2004. She was 53.

Awards and honors

In 1996, she was awarded the Wildlife Disease Association's Distinguished Service Award, which is its highest honor, and in 1999 received the Wyoming Game Warden Association's award. In 2005, Williams was inducted into the Wyoming Outdoor Hall of Fame. Williams and her husband are the namesake of the Tom Thorne/Beth Williams Wildlife Habitat Management Area in Wyoming, as well as the Tom Thorne and Beth Williams Wildlife Research Center at Sybille, one of a few wildlife research centers in the US.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Beth S. Road incident deaths in Colorado University of Maryland, College Park alumni Purdue University alumni University of Wyoming faculty Colorado State University faculty American veterinarians 1951 births 2004 deaths Scientists from Columbia, Missouri