Suk Ki Hong, 70, SUNY Distinguished Professor

Suk Ki Hong, 70, SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and professor of physiology at UB from 1975-97, died Monday in the Mitchell Campus of Hospice Buffalo after a long illness.

Born in Korea, Hong received his medical degree from Yonsei University and his doctorate in physiology from the University of Rochester.

A visiting instructor at UB from 1956-59, Hong then spent nine years at Yonsei University, the last two as chair of the physiology department. He joined the University of Hawaii physiology faculty in 1968, was named chair in 1971, and served in that capacity until coming to UB as professor of physiology in 1975. He was named SUNY Distinguished Professor in 1995.

Hong spent much of his research career studying the body's response to deep-water diving, and had a lengthy publication record in the field. He also served on the editorial board for Undersea Biomedical Research.

Hong was U.S. coordinator for U.S.-Japan Cooperative Research on Diving from 1975-87 and chaired the organizing committee for the International Symposium on "Man and the Sea" sponsored by the University of Hawaii in 1975.

In addition to his teaching and research activities, Hong was director of graduate studies in physiology from 1988-94 and prior to that directed UB's Graduate Group in Experimental Nephrology.

He received several awards during his lifetime, including the Stockton Kimball Award from the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences for excellence in research, education and service.

Jeannette Spero, 74, former dean of School of Nursing

Jeannette R. Spero, dean of the School of Nursing from 1976-78, died Aug. 31 in Cincinnati. She was 74.

Spero joined the UB nursing faculty in 1965, and served as acting dean of the school and chair of the Department of Community Health Nursing. She was named dean in 1976, serving for two years before accepting a position as dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Cincinnati.

While at UB, Spero encouraged faculty members to develop an innovative curriculum and obtain doctoral degrees.

She returned to the university in 1996 as honorary co-chair and keynote speaker for the 60th anniversary celebration of the School of Nursing.

Spero had served as president of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, a board member of the Midwest Alliance of Nursing and the Tricouncil of Nursing, and an executive committee member of the National Commission on Nursing Implementation Project.

She was elected a fellow in the American Public Health Association and was a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the international honor society of nursing.