Heinz Herrmann, emeritus professor of biology, died Oct. 18, 2009, aged 98.

Herrmann, who joined the UConn faculty in 1959, held a named research professorship from the American Cancer Society in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology for many years. During this time, he was for 10 years director of the Institute of Cell Biology and served on two study sections of the National Institutes of Health. His work on the embryonic development of muscles was a precursor to current embryonic stem cell research.

He retired from UConn in 1980, but remained an active scholar, publishing two major books – Cell Biology: An Inquiry Into the Nature of the Living State (1989) and From Biology to Sociopolitics: Conceptual Continuity in Complex Systems (1998). He also volunteered at the University library.

Herrmann, who left Europe as the Nazis were taking over, had a life-long interest in philosophy and politics, and a profound commitment to human rights. In 2006, he and his wife Virginia established a fund to start the Science and Human Rights Program in connection with the Human Rights Institute at UConn. The fund supports the Heinz and Virginia Herrmann Distinguished Lecture Series on Human Rights and the Life Sciences, and other programming.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson Street, Willimantic. Memorial donations may be made to Joshua’s Trust, Gifts and Contributions, P.O. Box 4, Mansfield Center, CT 06250.