Clark Shocked by Professor's Death
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Clark shocked by professor's death Police arrest suspect as students and colleagues mourn by Alice Sohn and Responding to a ndghbor's call tha t l "m concerned, I never thought he was Associate Professor and Chair of Comer's research, credited with be· Daniel Strachman Comer•., car was mi'>,ing, Worcester ever capable of doing something like the Biology Department Todd Li vdall ing at the forefront of the molecular (Printt-d in Clark University Scarlet, 10/ pollee officers discovered her body at this." sa1d Comer was ''one of the most intel biology field, concerned the manipula 29192. Used by ~rm lssion) 154 Uncatena Ave. residence, which Mary Bourcher, another neighbor, ligent people 1 have ever known. She tion of DNA. She had recently finished showed no signs of forced entry. said "this is not something we ex fell that her field contained the most a year's sabbatical in Paris, working at Clark Uni versity biology professor Comer's car, a dark gray '87 pected in this neighborhood. It's a central questions about living th ings." the only other laboratory studying this Dr. M. Margaret Comer, 50, was fou nd Chevrolet Nova, all egedly stolen by quiet neighborhoocL.She was a very According to Associate Professor of aspect of ge netics in the world. slain in her home at approximately the assailant, was recovered Oct. 27 at quiet person and d1dn't mix with the Chemistry David Thurlow, Comer was Last week, COmer submiued a drafl 8:51am on Oct. 27. I 0:30pm from the Auburn Mall park neighbors. I'm very, very shocked." "dedicated to bringing what she loved of a ma nuscript of her research, which An autopsy determined the cause of ing lot, police said. At Clark, students and faculty alike to students early." For this reason, was to be published in the scienti fic death to be blunt head trauma and Po lice believe that Comer was ac were traumatized by the news of Comer taught the onl y molecular biol journal "Proceedings of the National ligature strangulation. Time of death costed by Duga n in her driveway as Comer's death. ogy class offered to unde rgraduates at Academy of Sciences." She intended is estimated to be between 7 and I 0 pm she returned home from a shopping Clark University President Richard Clark. to provide a summation of her research an Sunday, Oct. 25. It was the fourth trip. According to Lt. John McKiernan Traina, in a prepared statement to the Respected by students and faculty this week. murder in the city in three days. of the Worcester Police De pt., the university's studen ts and faculty, said as a perfectionist who was tough and Comer, a native of Savannah, OA, Worcester Police arrested Comer's motive for the crime was robbery. "it is safe to say that all of us are in a expected high quality work from her graduated from Savannah Count ry Day neighbor, 30 year old Kevin Dugan of Reported missing from Comer's state of unbelieving shock." Comer classes, Comer began teaching at Clark school in 1960. She received her AB 156 Uncatena Ave. in Worcester and house are a VCR, a stereo receiver and was remembered by Traina as being in 1976. from Harvard University in 1964 and a charged him with the first degree mur Comer's checkbook. "thoroughly absorbed in her exacting Patrick Sheehan ('93), a student Ph. D. from Purdue University in 1972. der of Comer. He is scheduled to be Francis Rogan, a neighbor ac research" and "in animated conversa from COmer's Biology lOS-Molecular Comer joined the Clark faculty staff in arraigned today in Worcester District quai nted with both Comer and Dugan, tion wi th colleagues." Biology class said "this is a total shock, 1976, after conducting post doctoral Court, police said. described Comer as a quiet woman Clark Provost Fern Johnson said: I can' t believe it all. I just had class research in bacteriology at the Un iver- Dugan wa'i arrested on Hitchcock who kept to herself, and rarely had • •it is shocking to hear of someone you wit h her last week. She was very en St. in Worcester at approximately I :45 visitors in her home. Rogan said Duga n know who died. It is doubly shocking thusiastic about the subject matter cov See 'DeaJh ' page 8 pm on Oct. 28. is '." an all-American '. As far as to hear that 1 were murdered." ered in class. Three WPI fall teams named tops in New England It's not uncommon for one or two the Engineers have outscored oppo games to add to her total!>, making her for 1.09H yard'> '0 far this season and 12.6 poml'> per game. The offense has teams from anyone school to be ranked nents 38-2. the fourth WP I player in the top six completed 8() of 133 attempts. Junior averaged 418.2 net yards per game and among the best in their region, but this The field hockey team, under the leaders. WPI graduate Nicky McGowan tailback Jason Wooley, the 1991 Coca the defense has yielded 150.2 total fall, Worcester Polytechn ic Institute guidance of interim head coach Mau ra '91 is New England'!> all-time leader Cola Coll ege Division Gold Helmet ya rd~ per game. boastt. the top ranked Division Ill foot Donahue certainly looks li ke a post with 94 goals and 63 assists. Award recipient U!> New England's top The men's soccer team, winner's of ball, field hockey and men's soccer sea'ion contender. A NCAA Div Ill Join inA the field hnckcy team in the Divis1on II and Ill player is playing up the 1991 ConMitution Athlctu.; Con programs 1n New England. b1dthisyearwouldbe Engmccr~· fourth ranks arc the men·~ !KlCCCr und football to form. Wooley ha~ ru.,hed for 4ts5 ference, are currently 11-0 and ranked The field hockey team hru. been in four years. Lru.t year they entered teams. For the firM lime m the college's yards and si"< touchdowns on 98 at No. I in New England and No. 6 in the ranked No.I m the Nonheast Reg1on the national tournament wuh a 17-1-1 104 season~ of inter<.:ollegiate foot tempts and has caught 18 passes for nation for Div Ill colleges-the highc\1 since Sept 30. when the Engineen; record before falling 2-1 m tnple over ball, the team is r.mkcd 10 the top six 221 yard., in five games. Both ever. Under the reigns of firM year moved up one notch to replace Clark lime to Lebanon Valley. When con'\ld of the East region. Since the second Ceppctelli o1nd Wooley were pre-~a head coach Malcolm MacPher:.on, the Umversuy. Currently 12-0-0, the En enng only 18 ofWPI's l>tudent body is week of the I 992 season, the Engi son Ali-Amcnca candidates. all-time winningest coach at Fitchburg gmeerl> showcase some of the best female, the accomplishments or the neer.. have been ranked No. I in New On dcfen-.e, the Engineers are led State College with a I 08-38-15 record, talent in the country. field hockey team are quite lmpre\ England and currently stand at 4-1. by sen1or defcn'>ive tackle Peter the soccertcam has outscored it!> oppo Senior forwa rd Sue Tarallo, who sivc. Of 38 Divisions II and Ill New Fifth year head coach J:Jck Siedlecki Perivolo~rakis, a pre-season first-team nent:. 48-14. The soccer team has last year set the New England single England coll eges, WPI ha~ the beM has amassed a 31-10-1 record and took All-American candidate. Perivolaraki:., amassed u 233- I 60-36 record over 36 season scoring record with 37 goal'i winning percentage, .794, and carries the Engineers to their first post-season the team's leading tackler last year years and has made NCAA Div.lll and curre ntly ranks sixth in career a 172-42-7 record since 1975, when bid last yc<~r- an accompli<,hment that with 92, has recorded 41 tackles thus Tournament appearances and won 11ix scoring in New Englandwith88points, the sport became varsity. Since 1988. looks to repent Itself thb year. far, not Including 6.5 quarterback New England Intercollegiate Soccer has netted ten goals and a\Sisted on when Judy Soderlund wa' hired n'> l.endmg the offensive charge for the sacks, a fumble recovery,anda blocked League titles. They lo:.t in the fif'>t five other;. The team's leading '>COrer, head coach. the team has amas..cd o1 Enginc:cr.. art senior quarterback Dave c"<tra-point allcmpl. Jotning round of the ECAC tournament last junior Danielle Luongo has recorded 82-6-2 record. Ceppetclli who is the 'tchool''> all-time Pcrivolarakis arc JUnior ins1dc line year- finil.hing IJ-4-2. I I goals and five as.sis~. Behind the Of the top six career sconng leaders leader in pa.,.,1ng (.'i.044) auempt!> backer Mall Mercer who has 39 tc~ck· tcad1ng all scoring IS senior for· leaden;hip of tri-captains Tarallo, in New England, three played for WPI, (656), completions (369), and total lel>, four pas<, dcnections, a fumble ward Mall Cole who has tallied 12 Donna Underwood and Nickie I lunte r and Tarallo has potentially eight more offense (5,326). Ceppctelli has thrown recovery. and two interceptions, and goab .md four assish and is the CAC senior out'iidc linebacker John leading !>Corer.