Williams, Elizabeth S., 1951-2004

Elizabeth Storm Williams was born November 15, 1951. She received her bachelor of science from the University of Maryland. Passionate about veterinary medicine and animal health research, she spent four years studying veterinary medicine at Purdue University. Upon graduation from Purdue, she was accepted into the PhD program for veterinary pathology at Colorado State University. It was here she met and married Tom Thorne in 1979. During her graduate studies she determined observed health problems in deer were caused by what came to be known as chronic wasting disease (CWD). Williams worked at the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory where she taught in the undergraduate program and as a board-certified pathologist. Both Williams and Thorne dedicated their professional lives to solving wildlife problems, and lead the effort to save the black-footed ferret from extinction. Williams was appointed to a UN committee to work on mad cow disease and also served on committees for the U.S. Academy of Science and the National Institute of Health.

From the description of Elizabeth S. Williams papers, 1985-2003 (University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center). WorldCat record id: 72438069