Nina Etkin facts for kids

Nina Lilian Etkin (born June 13, 1948 – died January 26, 2009) was a smart scientist who studied people and living things. She was an anthropologist and a biologist. Dr. Etkin was famous for her work in understanding how culture, health, and nature are connected.

For more than 30 years, she explored how the food we eat affects our health. She also looked at traditional medicines used in places like Hawai‘i, Indonesia, and Nigeria. Her important research helped us learn a lot about health around the world. She wrote many books and articles and received many awards for her work.

Nina Etkin's Education Journey

Nina Etkin loved learning about science from a young age. She started her college studies at Indiana University. In 1970, she earned her first degree in zoology, which is the study of animals.

After that, she continued her education at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. There, she earned two more advanced degrees in Anthropology (the study of human societies and cultures). She got her Master's degree in 1972 and her PhD in 1975.

Nina Etkin's Teaching Career

After finishing her studies, Dr. Etkin became a professor. She taught anthropology at different universities. She helped many students learn about her exciting field.

Teaching at Universities

• From 1979 to 1990, she taught at the University of Minnesota. She started as an Assistant Professor and later became an Associate Professor.
• In 1990, she moved to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She became an Associate Professor there.
• By 1994, she was promoted to a Full Professor of Anthropology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She taught there until 2009.
• She also led the Department of Anthropology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa from 2001 to 2002.
• Besides teaching anthropology, she was also part of the medical faculty at the University of Hawai‘i. This shows how her work connected to health and medicine.

Awards and Special Honors

Dr. Nina Etkin was recognized for her amazing work in science. She received many awards and honors throughout her career. These awards show how much her colleagues valued her research.

Leading a Science Journal

She was the Editor in Chief of Economic Botany. This is a very important science journal. It publishes articles about how plants are used by people for food, medicine, and other things.

Being a Member of Important Societies

• Dr. Etkin was a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London. This is a very old and respected group for natural history.
• She also served as a past president and honorary board member of the International Society for Ethnopharmacology. This group studies traditional medicines.

Distinguished Economic Botanist Award

In 2009, she won the Distinguished Economic Botanist Award. This award came from the Society for Economic Botany. It was a big honor that recognized her lifetime of contributions to the field.

Remembering Nina Etkin

Even after her passing, Nina Etkin's work and spirit continue to inspire others. Several memorials were created to honor her memory and her contributions to science.

• Helping Students: The Nina L. Etkin Memorial Fund was created. It helps graduate students at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. It especially supports those who study how culture, health, and nature are connected.
• A Special Tree: At the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, there is an Akee tree (Blighia sapida) planted in her honor. A plaque is dedicated to her. This tree was chosen because Dr. Etkin studied how plants like the Akee moved between Africa and the Caribbean.
• Tributes from Colleagues: In 2009, a special issue of a newsletter collected stories and tributes from her students and fellow scientists. This showed how much she was loved and respected.