Zoula Zein-Eldin Retires

Born: Longview, Washington

Grew up: Des Moines, Iowa

College: Drake University, Des Moines (biology)

Grad work: State University of Iowa (biochemistry)

Last Position: Research Physiologist

Career:

In 1954, Dr. Albert Collier was the Laboratory Director when Zoula came onboard to work as an analytical chemist for the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries (now NOAA Fisheries). She was hired to study organic compounds in sea water. Zoula has been an active researcher at the Galveston Laboratory for her entire career (she has never worked anywhere else). Soon after coming onboard she became a biologist. So, she has come full circle and is ending her career sort of where she started: studying environmental tolerances of penaeid shrimp. The in-between years were spent on shrimp nutritional studies and feed design on penaeids. She contributed to research in the 1960's that made shrimp aquaculture possible, thus launching a major worldwide industry. Her publications on salinity and thermal tolerances and dietary needs of shrimp from that time continue to be cited by scientists today. She has a string of publications spanning nearly 5 decades.

1^st publication:

1958. Improved N-ethyl carbazole determination of carbohydrates with emphasis on sea water samples. Analytical Chemistry 30 (12):1935-1941.

Most recent publication:

2002. Browder, J. A., Z. Zein-Eldin, M. M. Criales, M. B. Robblee, S. Wong, T.L. Jackson, and D. Johnson. Dynamics of Pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum) recruitment potential in relation to salinity and temperature in Florida Bay. Estuaries 25(6B): 1355-1371.

Professional international travels:

Argentina (shrimp aquaculture and nutrition)
Tahiti (shrimp aquaculture and nutrition)
Mexico (international conference on shrimp - talked about environmental affects on shrimp.
Brazil (conducted shrimp aquaculture workshop)

Personal travels:

Egypt (3 times)
China
Russia
Germany
England
Scotland
Japan (2 times)

Would like to visit Egypt again. Likes the warm and friendly people. Also, because of the new things found in recent excavations (says she’s a frustrated archeologist)

Awards:

1995 Award for outstanding performance as Technical Monitor for the Southeast Region of NMFS.

2000 Awarded Galveston Lab’ EEO Outstanding Woman of the Year

Cooperative Research:

Environmental Research Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson and Arizona Feeds. Nutrition of penaeids, rearing and handling of postlarvae and juveniles, design and evaluation of feeds to be produced on laboratory and commercial scale.
Dr. Samuel P. Meyers, Louisiana State University. Nutrition, growth and feeding of penaeids.
Dr. Addison Lawrence. University of Houston and Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi. Nutrition of postlarval and juvenile shrimp.
Dr. Joan Browder, SEFSC Miami. Environmental requirements and recruitment of pink shrimp in Florida Bay.

What was it like being a female scientist in the 50s?

Zoula said there weren’t “supposed” to be any female scientists. At that time, females were only hired as clerical but chemists were in short supply so when a friend encouraged her to apply for a chemist position at the lab, she did, and the rest is history. As Zoula said, “We’ve come a long way since those days.”

Moon rocks:

Zoula was an official NMFS consultant to NASA’s Lunar Receiving Lab Invertebrate Program. NASA had been given a list of 250 species and told the moon rocks needed to be tested for these species. Shrimp was one of the organisms they examined and Zoula participated in the testing and supervision of the animals. She instructed biologists and technicians in rearing and handling postlarval and juvenile penaeids used in evaluation effects of lunar material returned from Apollo Flights 11, 12 and 14.

Community involvement:

Member of Alpha Xi Delta Sorority (once served as Regional Secretary)
Serves on the Galveston Symphony Board (plays the violin with the symphony)
Since 1991, has served on the Salvation Army Board (was chair of the board for 3 years)
For over 20 years, has served on YMCA Board (was President of the Board for 2 years)
Has served on Family Service Board since 1983 (was President twice, most recent 2001-2002)
Serves on Advisory Board for Galveston Arts.
In past years was active in the Auxiliary to the Texas State Psychiatric Association.

Plans now:

Immediately, will travel to Australia on July 13 with her 2 oldest grandsons; end of October will be going to France.

Will still be using her office to work on paper with Joan Browder and will continue to work on the history of the Galveston Lab.

On July 7, 2004, the Galveston Laboratory had a retirement party for Zoula.