Joyce Bruner-Lorand

Joyce Bruner-Lorand (left in this picture) was born and raised during the depression in Omaha, Nebraska. She attended Creighton University, graduating with a degree in Biology. In a time when few women forayed into a career in science, she continued her studies at the University of Iowa with Dr. Emil Witschi, earning a PhD in Zoology. Her speciality was mammalian reproductive endocrinology. Shortly after earning her PhD, Joyce had the unique opportunity to travel to Tubingen, Germany on a Rockefeller scholarship to work in the lab of the Nobel prize winner, Adolph Butenandt.

In the summer of 1953, Joyce came to Woods Hole to continue her research in the lab of Dr. Witschi and it was here during a chance encounter in the old MBL Mess Hall that she met her husband, Laszlo Lorand. Wasting no time, they married in November, 1953 and from that time on made Woods Hole and the MBL their summer home.

In 1955, Joyce and Laszlo moved to Evanston, IL where Laszlo took a position at Northwestern University. It was at this point that Joyce made a career choice. Although she held her own PhD and had authored and co-authored many papers, she was unable to teach or conduct her own research because of University nepotism rules barring spouses from holding staff positions. She was asked to join the faculty wives club and poured tea for a college meeting but quickly realized there was a way for her to stay in science. She had to sacrifice her own field of study, but could work with her husband as a research associate. In this role, she was able to remain active in the University's scientific community while raising their daughter, Michele. Working alongside her husband, Joyce distinguished herself not only as a scientist and colleague but also as a mentor to a large number of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows both at the University and at the MBL.

Woods Hole was a natural home for Joyce since she was passionate about nature, science, politics and social issues. She relished engaging in lively discussion of those subjects on Stony Beach and late into the night at her home in Woods Hole. In her most important role, Joyce was a loving wife, mother and grandmother.