June 26 – July 28 2023
Opening Reception: June 26 3:30 – 5:30pm
Curfman Gallery, Lory Student Center
David E. Fahrney was born in Nebraska on February 1st 1934. When Dave was younger he spent a lot of time in and out of medical facilities due to prolonged issues with his lungs. Dave was one of the first individuals to receive penicillin, which ended up saving his life. Despite the medical obstacles he faced he went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Reed College in Oregon. He later studied biochemistry at Columbia University where he earned his Ph.D.
In 1964, Dave was hired as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at UCLA. There, he continued his research on enzyme mechanisms. Wedding bells rang when Dave married his wife, Eileen in the late 1960’s. Together they moved to Fort Collins in 1970, where Dave was hired as an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Colorado State University. During his time here, he continued his research on enzyme mechanisms and expanded his work into metabolism of mycoplasma and thermophilic archaea (organisms that can live in extreme temperatures). Dave was a devoted and well-respected educator at CSU as he had a tremendous influence on many faculty members and helped them develop effective teaching styles and showing them how to engage students in course material.
Beyond Dave’s university life, he was passionate about excelling in any activity in which he engaged. Some of his favorite activities included competitive skiing, bow hunting, and rifle marksmanship. However, Dave was most passionate about photography, a hobby he took up with his wife, and fell in love with after her passing. Dave traveled all around the world on photographic tours with a group of professional photographers. He captured photos of polar bears in the arctic, photographed the lions of Africa, and shot mesmerizing photos of birds in Central and South America. Dave was well loved by friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues. Dave believed strongly in education and set up a biochemistry scholarship trust fund for CSU students at Edward Jones, which has already helped over 38 students at CSU. Dave’s legacy will continue to live on at CSU and he’ll forever be remembered as a dedicated educator and a brilliant photographer.
