Lorraine Marie Sordillo: November 5, 1959 – September 10, 2021
Dr. Lorraine Marie Sordillo, Meadow Brook Endowed Chair in Farm Animal Health and Wellbeing and professor for the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, passed away on Friday, September 10, 2021. Sordillo was born November 5, 1959 in Winchester, Massachusetts, the daughter Howard and Jacquelyn Neill. Lorraine was raised in Malden, Massachusetts and settled in Dewitt, Michigan.
Sordillo was a powerhouse scientist and role model for many early-career researchers. During her distinguished research career—with an exceptional track record of publications and external funding—she successfully mentored young researchers, made substantial contributions to numerous professional organizations, and was called upon by schools throughout the world to share her expertise.
Sordillo established a highly productive research program of national and international standing in bovine nutritional immunobiology. Her research focuses on understanding and modulating mechanisms that compromise host defenses during the periparturient period and increase susceptibility to economically important diseases, such as mastitis. Her work contributes to strategies that enhance cows’ immunity through nutrition, which reduce economic losses associated with treatment costs and decreased production. Additionally, her work improves animal health and reduces antimicrobial usage on farms, both of which are of utmost importance for sustainability of the dairy industry and its societal contract.
Sordillo directly mentored a total of 30 graduate students—18 MS and 12 PhD—as well as 10 postdoctoral associates. She also hosted numerous visiting scientists, all of whom made a successful career transition into industry, government, or academia under her mentorship. She also has been a strong mentor for many junior faculty, both inside and outside her department.
Sordillo made significant contributions to animal health through participation in professional organizations. Among others, she was active in highly relevant associations, such as the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, the American Dairy Science Association, and the National Mastitis Council. Known as a thoughtful and dependable member on steering and organization committees, her contributions are highly valued by her peers.
Sordillo loved all animals, especially dogs. She was an avid fly fisherman and golfer. In recent years, she took up painting, and became an accomplished artist.
She is survived by her husband of 35 years, Jeff Gandy; daughter, Candice Gandy; mother, Jacquelyn Neill; sister, Janice Neill; brothers, John, Michael, and Jim (Joanne) Sordillo; and numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family. She was preceded in death by her father, Howard Neill.
A memorial service was held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 16, 2021 at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes East Chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions were suggested to Sparrow Home Health and Hospice.
I first met Lorraine in 2018 when I came to serve as dean here at MSU. I did not have a lot of interactions with her before she died, but the ones I did have were important testaments to the quality of her character and abilities.
Within weeks of my arrival, Lorraine got all the College’s endowed chairs together. It was a wonderful welcome by this esteemed group, and immediately, I was drawn to Lorraine’s energy, humor, and Boston accent. (My husband is from Massachusetts, which spurred some great conversations.)
I quickly learned that Lorraine was an enthusiastic member of our community. We worked together to recruit our new chair for the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. She served on the committee, and was very actively engaged in all aspects of this important process. Then, in 2019, her husband Jeff received the College’s Krehbiel Staff Award. I was touched by Lorraine’s reaction. She was very proud of his accomplishments, his research activities, and his support of graduate students.
Lorraine possessed these qualities herself. I am fortunate to have met many of her graduate students, and they all said the same thing. Lorraine was a fantastic mentor who was tough, but fair. She inspired and supported them, and cared about much more than just their academic needs and interests.
Getting to know Lorraine throughout the past three years had its ups and downs. She loved fly fishing and told me all about it with this amazing smile that stretched from ear to ear. She gave me all the details—her passion for the sport and her favorite spots to fish. She lent me her books about fly fishing, and we had plans for her to teach me.
We connected more in July 2020, when Lorraine was diagnosed. I am in remission from breast cancer myself, so immediately, I related to her. I shared with her my oncology specialists at the University of Michigan, and we discussed many of the fears, challenges, and exhaustion, but also the precious moments that come with such a diagnosis.
My last conversation with Lorraine was in August 2021. We spent about two hours in her office, laughing a lot, talking about her students and how proud she was of them. Lorraine told me how thankful she was for having had time to spend with Jeff, family, students, and colleagues since her diagnosis. I am thankful I got to be part of that.
–Birgit Puschner, dean and professor for the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine
It is an honor to write this tribute to Lorraine Sordillo. I first met Lorraine in a small airport in the south of France. We waited together for a shuttle to a scientific conference, where we were both invited speakers. As a Massachusetts native, I quickly noticed Lorraine was dropping “r’s” from words like “car” to sound like “cah” and “hard” to sound like “hahd.” I knew immediately that we had a lot in common, both being from the Boston area and graduates from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
After learning a little more about each other’s research programs, Lorraine encouraged me to apply to an open endowed chair position at Michigan State University. As a lifelong east coaster, who was settled with a young family in North Carolina, and had no intention of ever leaving, I politely declined. Throughout the next couple of days, I experienced Lorraine’s persistence first-hand, as well as the amazing, positive influence that she had over people. By the end of the conference, I was preparing my application to MSU, and was ready to move my lab and family halfway across the country to be a Spartan.
Lorraine’s tenacity, persistence, and fearless attitude about challenging the status quo is what made her a trailblazer in her field. She was a role model to everyone who had the honor of working with her. Lorraine’s energy, dedication, and compassion are what made her an exceptional mentor, who truly wanted her trainees to make a bigger impact than she did. It is undeniable that Lorraine made a powerful impact as a leading researcher in her field. But the impact she made through her relationships with her family, friends, colleagues, and mentees is far greater, and will live on in all of us that were privileged to know her.
–Dr. Adam Moeser, Matilda R. Wilson Endowed Chair and professor for the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine
I first met Lorraine at a conference in Spain where she was the keynote speaker. She took the time in her busy schedule to meet with me, a PhD student from a random Spanish university, and discuss my research ideas. She then invited me to her lab, and convinced me to apply for a job at the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, where I had the opportunity of not only becoming a colleague, but also a friend.
If I had to choose a word to describe Lorraine, it would be “dedication.” She was dedicated to her work, as highlighted by her extraordinary scientific carrier. More importantly, however, she was dedicated to her graduate students and to the numerous junior faculty she mentored. She was a powerhouse of a female scientist, committed to training the next generations of scientists, and an advocate of those underrepresented in science. She had this ability of effortlessly lifting everyone around her, always encouraging everyone to do their very best. I owe my successes to her exceptional mentorship, and I know she has positively impacted many other people.
Beyond work, Lorraine was always fun to be around, whether it was enjoying a meal, some red wine, a cocktail, or planning our Monopoly cheating plot (or all these things together, more often than not). We lost not only an outstanding scientist, but an extraordinary human being. But she will never be forgotten, and will forever remain in my heart.
—Dr. Ángel Abuelo, assistant professor in Cattle Health and Wellbeing, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Could you please review a draft for me, just one more time? This time a tribute, for you. Of course, due to your unparalleled dedication and desire to help others, it’s a silly question to ask. I know you would help out just like you’ve done countless times before. So, please see below and let me know your thoughts.
Lorraine Sordillo held a great many roles: titan in bovine immunology, mentor, family woman, and dog lover, to name a few. These roles were not mutually exclusive, with a single conversation encompassing as much discussion about our dogs and family as it did lab work. In fact, one meeting of ours began with a discussion about enjoying time with family, moved into a brief, but efficient, data discussion, and ended with her advising, “It’s never a good time. Get the puppy!”
Perhaps the greatest of her roles, however, was being the person who built up everyone around her. She firmly believed that the success of others was just as important as her personal accomplishments. Therefore, she encouraged (if not demanded) those she knew to pursue excellence. And they undoubtably achieved it if they were willing to put in the work and follow her guidance. Furthermore, at the core of everything Dr. Sordillo did, existed pure generosity.
I am forever grateful for the time I had with Lorraine, and consider myself very fortunate that her presence can still be felt throughout the College. Simply walk down the hallway that her laughter used to fill, peek through the window of one of her labs, or sit with those of us who were lucky enough to know her.
Thank you.
—Dr. Ashley Putman, PhD candidate at the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine
The Boss. For 27 years of my life, she’s been “The Boss.” Among the many names that she received over the years, none did she embrace more than “The Pit Bull.” In reality, it suited her quite well.
Determined and intelligent. The Boss was, without a doubt, both. The world certainly recognizes her contribution and scholarship to the field. However, her definition of success went deeper. She poured her heart, soul, and incredible mind into the next generation; her mission was to pass along her curiosity and engagement to her students. She expected—and inspired—dedication and excellence. She was intentionally the toughest critic. If you could make it through your presentation during a lab meeting, then actually presenting at the conference would be a breeze.
Loyal. As tough as she could be, there was never a doubt that she was in your corner. She wanted success for both her students and colleagues, and she went above and beyond to fight for the support and opportunities necessary to help each individual succeed.
Active and playful. I can’t think of The Boss without recalling her many hobbies, or some may say obsessions: golf, Hummel figurines, fountain pens, Nespresso coffee, wine, Harry Potter, and, of course, anything related to fly fishing.
Courageous and stoic. Enough said.
In losing The Boss, I’ve lost an incredible woman tied to so many wonderful memories in my life. She provided me with opportunities that no doubt forever changed the course of my life. But, most importantly, she gave me a second family.
Sordillo Lab forever.
—Chris Corl, associate director of Quality Control at ElevateBio
If it wasn’t for Lorraine Sordillo, mentor extraordinaire:
I would not have a PhD. I would not have the knowledge and versatility to review literature in any field and develop hypothesis-driven studies.
I would not have known how important it is to stretch outside of your comfort zone.
I would not have the extensive experience across animal species to understand intricacies of models and relevance across diseases.
I would not have known there was the perfect position for me at Virginia Tech.
I would not have known you can respond to the editor and, politely, tell them like it is—in other words, I learned I didn’t have to just swallow unfairness.
I would not have known how to write a successful grant and listen to the advice you are given, even if it means last-minute changes the night before submission.
I would not have known how to be a strong female leader and stand up for what is right. Lorraine taught me to never bury things under the rug, even if that’s ‘the way’ it’s always been.
We are the luckiest, with the honor of being inspired by Lorraine Sordillo, person extraordinaire.
—Dr. Isis Kanevsky, director of Bacterial Vaccines at Pfizer
The world was robbed of a fantastic scientist, mentor, and friend. Like many, I will forever remain amazed by Lorraine’s impact on science and her determination to train future scientists. For the rest of my career, I will always hear her words of advice to me: “Focus,” and “Don’t limit yourself.” I will forever cherish her candid and constructive feedback on work and life in general, and hopefully pass along the same message to others. I am forever grateful that our paths intersected, and hope that her impact can be reflected in the product of my work as well.
May your soul rest in eternal peace and your family find comfort and peace in the love of friends and all whose lives were touched by you.
—Dr. Vengai Mavangira, MSU Farms veterinarian and assistant professor, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Lorraine and I originally got to know each other through professional meetings, where we both were featured speakers. She came to MSU after I left (the first time). When I heard the news that she had accepted the endowed chair at MSU, I was so impressed, as she was the first woman peer who had achieved such a distinction.
As both of our careers progressed, I always felt that she was a role model for me, even though we were the same age. While I always admired her science, I especially liked the rare instances where we were both traveling together and got to hang out and drink red wine in airline lounges. She loved red wine.
One indelible memory includes Dr. Margo Holland, a USDA National Program Leader, as well as an amazing veterinarian and scientist, who we also lost too soon. Lorraine was a workhorse for USDA, running and serving on panels, and Margo very-much valued her contributions. At one panel that included both Lorraine and I, Margo noted at the end of the panel that two of her favorite panelists were now friends and hanging out together. This was before I came back to MSU (the second time), but that emerging friendship was one reason I came back. She will be missed in many ways.
—Dr. Pamela Ruegg, David J. Ellis Chair in Antimicrobial Resistance and professor for the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine
She was a phenomenal scientist—strict, but fair, and always available for junior faculty and students. We will dearly miss the outstanding scientist, mentor, teacher, and friend. She has left a lasting impact on veterinary immunology!
—Dr. Srinand Sreevatsan, associate dean of Research and Graduate Studies and professor of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation at the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine
It really saddens me to write this in the past tense. Lorraine had this remarkable combination of natural leadership and a protective instinct that drew you into her fold and gave you the confidence that she would be there for you when you needed her. She had a razor-sharp intellect and an enthusiasm for science that was infectious. Lorraine was a strong influence on my recruitment for the McPhail Chair at MSU, and went out of her way to help me succeed when I arrived. It is with shock and immense sadness we say farewell to her all too soon.
—Dr. Stephanie Valberg, Mary Anne McPhail Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine and professor for the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine
