In a virtual ceremony on May 6, 2021, Seth Frietze, Ph.D., associate professor of medical laboratory science in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, was invested as the inaugural Dr. Ronald W. Pero International Research Green and Gold Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Health Sciences. Established by Dr. Margaretha Pero in honor of her late husband, Dr. Ronald Pero ’62, the professorship will support research related to the onset and spread of cancer and innovations in effective cancer treatment and prevention. 

Ronald Pero was born and raised in the rolling hills of southern Vermont and attended school in a one-room schoolhouse in Bennington County through the 8^th grade. After graduating from the University of Vermont in 1962, he earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island.  Dr. Pero spent the bulk of his research career at the University of Lund in Sweden, where he became a world-renowned expert on the role of DNA repair and DNA damage in regulating toxicological mechanisms important to normal and tumor cell survival. He was a prolific and committed scientific researcher with many international research connections. He authored more than 200 peer-reviewed research publications, as well as a series of fiction and non-fiction books, and formed two biotech companies before returning in his later years to his beloved forests, streams, and mountains in Vermont. 

Margaretha Pero is a child and adolescent psychiatrist. She earned her undergraduate degree, as well as an M.D. and a Ph.D., from Lund University. She worked alongside her husband in his lab at Lund and is very proud of what they accomplished there together. She says she is gratified that the legacy of Ronald’s life’s work will continue here at his alma mater. “I am so happy that you are honoring my husband, whose creative mind and spirit and hard work made this donation possible,” she said.

Seth Frietze joined the UVM faculty in the Department of Biomedical and Health Sciences as an assistant professor in 2015. He received a B.S. in biochemistry and a B.A. in chemistry from New Mexico State University. After earning his Ph.D. from Harvard Medical School, he completed his postdoctoral training at the University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. At UVM, he currently leads a large research program that applies systematic approaches to study molecular mechanisms of gene regulation, with the long-term goal of discovering new therapeutic strategies to target cancer cells and reduce the incidence and mortality rates of patients battling breast cancer and leukemia. 

“Dr. Frietze is an exceptional researcher who has raised the prestige of our department, college, and university,” said Paula Deming, chair of the Department of Biomedical and Health Sciences and Lisa Steele Professor in Nursing and Health Sciences. “We are proud to have him as a colleague.” 

Frietze’s work has been impactful both nationally and internationally. His expertise in areas such as cutting-edge cancer genomic techniques has been sought out by researchers around the globe. He maintains a strong commitment to the next generation of scientists who are addressing important biomedical questions, serving as a mentor to doctoral and postdoctoral students pursuing careers in cancer biology. He also demonstrates significant leadership in service at UVM through his integral role at the University of Vermont Cancer Center and as a member of the Cell, Molecular, and Biomedical Sciences Education Committee

“I am truly honored to carry out my work here at UVM and to continue Ronald Pero’s legacy in mentoring young scientists in basic cancer research,” said Frietze. “I trust my effort will make Dr. Pero and her family proud.”