Marjam G. Behar

Marjam G. Behar, 87, a retired research chemist and National Institutes of Health grants administrator, died on July 2, 2012.

Born in Poland, Behar immigrated to Cuba in 1939. She earned a doctorate in physical and chemical sciences from the University of Havana in 1950, before immigrating to the U.S. in 1955.

She worked for 17 years as an analytical chemistry researcher at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She then served for 21 years as a grants administrator at NIH, where she led a study section in biophysical and chemical sciences.

Behar was an emeritus member of ACS, joining in 1959. She was active on the Women Chemists Committee as well as in the Project SEED program for economically disadvantaged high school students, for which she served as a longtime mentor and as a coordinator in the Washington, D.C., area.

In recognition of her commitment to Project SEED, she received an NIH Equal Employment Opportunity Special Achievement Award in 1997. That same year, Behar was honored with a special symposium on advances in bioanalytical and bioinorganic chemistry at the 213th ACS national meeting in San Francisco. She received an NIH Center for Scientific Review Director’s Award in 2000.

Behar is survived by her husband, Joseph; sons, Robert and Saul; daughter, Jamie; and four grandchildren.