Helen Donis-Keller, Ph.D.
In her own words; A brief personal biography
Born in Madison, Wisconsin and growing up in Elkhart, Indiana, I developed a love of the outdoors and the natural world. As an undergraduate I majored in graphic design and photography at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio.
While working professionally as a graphic designer and photographer I found a new love of science and pursued degrees in natural science and biology at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario,Canada. Subsequently a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from Harvard
University in Cambridge, Massachusetts led to a career in the biotechnology industry and a professorship at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis where I continued research on the human genome and mapping genes for inherited diseases.
While a career scientist, I always maintained a thread of artistic practice in drawing, printmaking and photography. I returned to the company of artists undertaking Master of Fine Arts (MFA) studies in studio art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts and Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. Following graduation, I joined the newly formed Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts where I am currently the Michael E. Moody Professor and Professor of Biology and Art. I develop and teach novel undergraduate courses, pursue an interest in biological research, engage in artistic practice that is mainly photography based, and serve as director of the Olin Art Gallery.
I have traveled widely recording and reflecting on numerous urban and natural landscapes. Recent work calls attention to the alarming decline of natural habitats, and concern for maintaining biodiversity for bird populations.
“The exhibit currently on show here was the result of a visit to Cuba in 2015. I found the people to be incredibly warm and welcoming. Cuba’s economic situation was not as dire as it is now although the people had suffered from years of economic neglect which was apparent even then. I stayed with a Cuban family and saw first-hand what it is like to live within a resilient community.
They will rise again, of that I am quite sure.”
- Helen Donis-Keller, Ph.D.