Walter Clive Clark (22 October 1927 – 21 November 2019) was a New Zealand zoologist who specialised in the study of

nematode The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-Parasitism, parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhab ...

s and

pycnogonid Sea spiders are marine arthropods of the order Pantopoda ( ‘all feet’), belonging to the class Pycnogonida, hence they are also called pycnogonids (; named after ''Pycnogonum'', the type genus; with the suffix '). They are cosmopolitan, foun ...

s. He was a professor at

Massey University Massey University ( mi, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa) is a university based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with significant campuses in Albany and Wellington. Massey University has approximately 30,883 students, 13,796 of whom are extramural or ...

and later the

University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...

Early life, family, and education

Born in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

on 22 October 1927, Clark was the son of Clive Harold Clark and Ellen Martha Clark (née Baldwin). He had his early education at

Bruce Bay Bruce Bay is a bay and settlement in South Westland, New Zealand on the Tasman Sea. It is located on State Highway 6, northeast of Haast and southwest of Fox Glacier. The small settlement of Bruce Bay is located just south of the mouth of Mahit ...

, where his academic potential was first recognised, before moving back to Christchurch about the end of 1942. Clark later studied at

Canterbury University College The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was f ...

, graduating

MSc MSC may refer to: Computers * Message Sequence Chart * Microelectronics Support Centre of UK Rutherford Appleton Laboratory * MIDI Show Control * MSC Malaysia (formerly known as Multimedia Super Corridor) * USB mass storage device class (USB MSC ...

with first-class honours in 1957. He was an assistant lecturer in biology at Christchurch Teachers' College from 1954 to 1955 and an assistant lecturer in zoology at Canterbury from 1956 to 1957. He was then a principal scientific officer in nematology in the entomology division of the

Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, abbreviated DSIR was the name of several British Empire organisations founded after the 1923 Imperial Conference to foster intra-Empire trade and development. * Department of Scientific and Industria ...

(DSIR) in

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from 1957 to 1964. The DSIR supported Clark to undertake doctoral studies, and he completed a

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Imperial College London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

, supervised by Bernard Peters and Charles Potter, in 1961. The title of his doctoral thesis was ''Systematic and morphological studies on some Enoplida Nematoda, with special reference to the soil fauna of New Zealand''. In 1958, Clark married Gwenda Bellamy Goodman.

Academic career

Clark was appointed professor of zoology at

in 1964, but in 1967 he returned to Department of Zoology at the

as a

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(equivalent to

associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. Overview In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...

). He rose to the rank of professor and also served as head of department. His main research interests were nematodes and pycnogonids. On his retirement from Canterbury in 1988, Clark was conferred the title of

professor emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

. Among the research students supervised by Clark was Gregor Yeates, who completed his PhD on the ecology of nematodes in sand dunes in 1968.

Later life and death

In retirement, Clark lived in the small town of Woodend. His first wife died in 1999, and he later remarried, to Clover. He died on 21 November 2019.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Wally 1927 births 2019 deaths Scientists from Christchurch University of Canterbury alumni Alumni of Imperial College London New Zealand zoologists People associated with Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (New Zealand) Academic staff of Massey University Academic staff of the University of Canterbury