Update April 19
Dr. Elizabeth Auger Memorial Mass
Monday, April 24, 10 a.m., Alfond Center Gymnasium, Reception to follow.
Classes from 10 a.m. to noon are canceled or rescheduled to Reading Day, Thursday, May 4, so that students and faculty may attend.
Ways to Honor Dr. Auger
Donate in Dr. Auger's name to the College Scholarship Fund
Go Fund Me page to raise money in her honor for the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland (AFLGP)
April 4, 2017
Community Members and Friends of the College,
It is with profound sadness that I am letting you know that a member of our faculty, Elizabeth "Beth" Auger, Assistant Professor of Biology, who has been with us for over twenty years, has unexpectedly passed away. We learned of this sad news on the afternoon of Monday, April 3rd. Once Dr. Auger’s next of kin was notified, we began to notify our faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Our hearts go out to Dr. Auger’s family members, friends, her current and former students, and all of those in the Saint Joseph's College community who worked closely with her.
We want you to know that our campus community has been mobilizing to provide appropriate support for our students and faculty. We gathered at 2:00 p.m. today in Pearson's Cafe to share information about this loss with students and faculty, to reassure them about resources available, and to address their questions. As a community, we are coming together to keep a keen eye out for those students impacted most significantly, directly or indirectly.
As we communicate with Dr. Auger's family to learn about and respect their wishes, we will keep our community informed about how the College will memorialize Dr. Auger.
In the meantime, the College community that was so important to our colleague and friend remains a natural place to share both our memories of her and our grief at her passing.
Sincerely,
Dr. James Dlugos, President
About Dr. Elizabeth "Beth" Auger
Dr. Elizabeth Auger taught for more than twenty years at the College in the Sciences Department, teaching courses, such as Biology, Medical Biology, and Biochemistry. Her scholarly interests centered on how bacteria respond to environmental stress, responses that allow bacteria to survive under adverse conditions and, in some cases, cause disease. She previously studied stress responses in cancer cells and their effect on cancer treatment. She was an avid knitter, a loving pet owner, and a passionate volunteer for animal humane societies.
Photo Caption: Gathering for Dr. Auger, Tuesday, April 4, 2017, in Pearson’s Café.
Faculty, staff, and students can find resources to help deal with loss by logging into mySJC and then in the Administration section click on Personal Loss Resources.
