Honoring the Life of Dr. Paul Gader

June 27, 2023 in Featured, News

“I will always cherish the moments of playing saxophone together, researching coral reefs in Hawaii, talking in our thick northern accents, chatting for hours on end in the lab and enjoying meals together. Paul truly radiates light and brings immense value to everyone he encounters.” -Nicholas Kroeger, Ph.D. candidate, Dr. Gader’s former student

Paul in his office at Weil Hall.

“Paul was the most amazing combination of heart and brains. He was always kind and supportive to his colleagues, and he somehow made everyone feel welcome, comfortable, and important; talk about the smartest guy in the room. He will be dearly missed.” -David Kaplan, Ph.D., Colleague

Paul and his wife, Libby.

“One lesson that Dr. Gader taught me that has stuck with me is about integrity. He said that one of the advantages in his career was that he was honest about what could and could not be done. Dr. Gader was able to build relationships because people trusted him as he was clear on what the limitations were.” -Ronald Fick, Ph.D., Dr. Gader’s former student

(L to R): Martin Ludvigsen, Eirik Syvertsen, Paul Gader, Geir Johnsen, Libby Gader and Paul’s sister, Carla.

“Paul was simply a soulmate, one thing was the science and the other connections was music and birds. There will be a strong legacy after Paul — many of us will pursue the Paul direction.” -Geir Johnsen, Ph.D., Collaborator from NTNU

Geir Johnsen (L) and Paul Gader birdwatching together at Sweetwater Preserve.

“This is indeed sad news. Paul was such a great person. He was a generous, cordial, and wise man with a strong intellect. I really admired him. The best way to honor him is to proceed in the direction he pointed out for us. He saw a great potential in the collaboration between UFL and NTNU.”-Asgeir Sorensen, Ph.D., Collaborator from NTNU

Gader and collaborators from Norway brainstorm strengths of each group to contribute to UF-NOAA-NTNU collaboration.

“I first met Paul when he and Christine Angelini invited me to design and facilitate a stakeholder engagement series for scoping out what the Center could be and how it could best meet the needs of those it wished to serve. My experience of Paul was as someone who was welcoming, who listened to others’ perspectives, who trusted in the process, and understood that the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts when you are intentional about including everyone. I appreciated these qualities.”  -Sharon Ryan, Colleague   

“I am grateful to have had Paul as a colleague and a friend, to know him, learn from him, and work side by side with him. And, I thank his wife Libby, daughter Leigh, sisters and family for cherishing and encouraging Paul’s passion as an academic and dedication to his career. In listening to the eulogy given by Paul’s sister Carla last week, it was clear Paul was beloved by all those close to him in his life. May we take comfort in knowing that someone so cherished will not be forgotten.” -Christine Angelini, Ph.D.