Professor, crew adviser remembered

This week, members of the UNC community remembered a man respected both for his contributions in the field of science, and for those he made outside of the lab.

Robert Millikan, a professor of epidemiology at UNC, died Sunday. He was 55.

Millikan, who served as the men’s crew club team faculty adviser since 1993, focused his work at the Gillings School of Global Public Health on conducting studies to discover the factors that contribute to breast cancer, especially in African-American women.

He also served as a principal investigator for the Carolina Breast Cancer Study.

Andrew Olshan, chairman of the epidemiology department, said Millikan died after a battle with a chronic disease.

Olshan said he has considered Millikan a close friend and colleague since Millikan’s arrival at the School of Global Public Health in 1993, which was also the same year he began his work with the Carolina Breast Cancer Study.

“He engaged as best he could in every aspect of being a member of the faculty here,” Olshan said.

Olshan added that Millikan’s hard work extended beyond the lab.

“He was not only a very accomplished and brilliant scholar, but he also had so many other talents,” he said, adding that Millikan also played the violin in a classical quartet.

Chris Creech, a 2010 UNC graduate and former member of the crew team, said Millikan was the glue that held the team together.

Creech said that despite coaching changes throughout his time on the team, Millikan remained a constant presence.

“With a team filled with a bunch of male college athletes, there’s a lot of testosterone,” said Creech.

“It’s good to have that steady mentor figure.”

Creech said Millikan was one of the kindest people he’s ever met.

“He cared about everyone he met to a great extent,” Creech said.

“Whenever you were having a conversation he made you feel like you were important and what you were talking about was important.”

One of the least favorite tasks of a novice rower is to carry the motors down to the boats used by the rowing team, a task that usually requires two men because of the motors’ weight, said Emmett Gilles, president of the men’s varsity crew team.

But Gilles said Millikan was determined to help out in whatever way he could.

“I have this memory of Bob with a motor in one hand, striding down to the beach — just a very powerful and motivated man,” Gilles said.

“I’m sure there were a lot of very grateful novices that day.”

The team has plans to organize an event in Millikan’s memory along with members of the alumni in the next few weeks, though nothing has been announced yet.

“I would consider him the best of what UNC represents to the local community, the state of North Carolina and the global community of researchers in breast cancer,” Olshan said.

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