This fund was made possible by a gift from Malcolm Quigley. The first travel grant was given at the 2004 APS Annual Meeting in Anaheim, CA.
Malcolm and Catherine QuigleyMalcolm Quigley was born in 1937 in Liverpool, England. He attended Liverpool University and graduated with a degree in chemistry in 1958, following which he studied at the University of Toronto, gaining his M.S. degree in organic chemistry a year later.
In 1960 he started a teaching career as a teacher and concurrently began developing a family horticultural business. A commercial glasshouse nursery specializing in tomato and other salad crops was purchased in 1967. Typically, with land used year after year for growing tomatoes, the soil-parasitic nematode Globodera rostochiensis is an ever-present pest requiring annual soil sterilization to control its numbers. By collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture, Malcolm investigated the benefits of a new chemical soil sterilizer under standard commercial conditions at the nursery and through the University of Wales, resulting in the award of an M.S. degree in crop protection in 1971.
In 1975, Malcolm obtained a teaching post, relieving the problem of falling income as cheaper imports of salad crops arrived from southern Europe. At the same time, an opportunity arose to embark on a part-time post-doctoral study with the Polytechnic of Central London on the influence of climate and weather on the life cycle of endoparasitic nematodes. Mathematical models and computer simulations were compared with field observations and results of laboratory investigations. Malcolm was awarded a Ph.D. degree in 1980, followed by a Scientific Investigations Grant by the Royal Society to test the models with field observations of both endoparasitic and ectoparasitic nematodes.
Following employment as a horticultural training officer, Malcolm and his wife retired from full-time employment in 1992. He then extended his research efforts to explore computer-based methods for early detection of foliar fungal diseases of ornamental plants. The principal subject of study was the incidence of powdery mildew on annual Verbena, a problem for growers of this species. The aim of this project has been to provide guidelines for minimizing the risk of infection. Several technical articles have been published, and the investigations are continuing.
Catherine Quigley was born Catherine Henderson in 1936, also in Liverpool. She attended the Glasgow and West of Scotland College of Domestic Science and F. L. Calder College of Domestic Science in Liverpool, gaining a Certificate of Education and Certificate of the Institute. In 1960, she qualified as a teacher and started her professional career.
In the same year, she and Malcolm were married in their hometown. Catherine became a devoted mother of two girls and one boy. She was a successful and well-respected schoolteacher and a valued partner in the family business. She was a patient and skilled professional grower, with a penchant for working the long hours necessary for success. At the same time, she supported her husband’s activities and the needs of a growing family.
Following the sale of the business in 1975, she returned to full-time teaching and became head of home economics in 1985. Following retirement from teaching in 1992, Catherine worked part-time at a neighboring glasshouse nursery and was a regular volunteer worker for a charity helping local elderly people. In addition, she acted in loco parentis for a young Polish student who came to England (1992–1996) for education and training at a nearby agricultural college. With Malcolm, she also helped with the financial means to transform the traditional Polish family holding into a viable commercial dairy farm.
Unfortunately, Catherine was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997. Despite an operation and radiotherapy, disease symptoms returned three years later and, in spite of a course of chemotherapy, spread to other parts of her body. She died in 2001 but is forever remembered for her loving, unselfish, and hard-working life.
