A national magazine's exploration of how the West Nile virus was discovered includes
a St. Lawrence graduate who played a key role in its identification.
The July 2003 issue of Smithsonian magazine includes an extensive story titled
"On The Trail of the West Nile Virus," which examines its discovery, work being done
on development of a vaccine and studies of long-term effects. Tracey McNamara '76 is quoted
in the story, and a photograph of her also appears in the issue.
McNamara, a veterinary pathologist, was at the Bronx Zoo in 1999, and helped to identify the
virus when it was found in autopsies conducted on crows found throughout New York City.
A psychology major at St. Lawrence, McNamara participated in the program of study in Kenya
and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She holds a degree in veterinary medicine from
Cornell University and was awarded an honorary doctorate from St. Lawrence in
To read the story,
visit the Smithsonian Web site.
Posted: July 10, 2003