In Memoriam: Slavica S. Matacic, 1933-2014

Slavica Matacic, a long-time professor of biology at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, died last month after a brief illness. She was 80 years old.

Dr. Matacic earned bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees at University of Zagreb in what was then Yugoslavia. While working as a postdoctoral fellow at the Ruder Boskovic Institute, she met Ariel Loewy, who was on sabbatical leave from Haverford College. Professor Loewy offered her a postdoctoral fellow post at Haverford, which she accepted.

In 1964, Dr. Matacic joined the faculty at Haverford College as an assistant professor of biology. She and Loewy were the first scientists to purify and characterize transglutaminase (also known as blood clotting factor XXIII) which is used to treat hemophilia and other medical conditions.

Professor Matacic retired from teaching in 1999. A scholarship fund for Haverford students bears her name.