Neil Welker, 1932-2004			Uldis Streips, 1942-2019		Uldis was Born in Riga, Latvia on February 1, 1942. His family came to the US in 1951 and eventually settled in Chicago. He graduated Valparaiso University in 1964 with a B.A. in Biology and Chemistry. He received a PhD from Northwestern University in 1969, where he worked on his Ph.D. in the laboratory of Dr. Neil Welker (one of the original participants in the Wind River Conference, which was called The Transformation Meeting at the time). Uldis then did a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Frank E. Young (another founding member of the Transformation Meetings) at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation. In 1972, he became an Assistant Professor of Microbiology at the University of Louisville, Medical Center. Because of his state-of- the art research and his outstanding commitment to students, he was promoted to Associate Professor (1978) and Professor (1988). He remained at UL until 2002. Uldis received several teaching awards, including the AMWA Gender Equity Award. He was the recipient of multiple research grants and served as Vice Chairman of the Department twice (for over 10 years). He authored 61 peer reviewed journal articles and 75 chapters, books and proceedings. He mentored 17 M.S. and doctoral students who trained under him while he was at UL and provided guidance to countless number of medical students. His commitment to students was specifically recognized by his university, but also carried over to the leadership and guidance he provided to the Wind River Conference. He made sure that students were always first and center in all considerations and planning for the conference. Uldis was truly a mensch and he is missed.
	Chicago Tribune Welker, Neil E. August 14, 2004 Neil E. Welker left us after a short, but brave, battle with cancer on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2004 at age 72. Neil, born in Darien Center, NY on April 21, 1932, received his PhD from Western Reserve in Cleveland, OH and moved to the Chicago area where he was a Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL from 1964 to present. He is noted for promoting excellence in undergraduate science education and supporting students' participation in the Wind River Conference each year in Colorado.		Uldis Streips (photo taken WR Conference 2013)	In February 2019, The Wind River Conference on Prokaryotic Biology lost a friend and an active supporter/leader. Dr. Uldis Streips had been the long-time Executive Director of the Conference and worked tirelessly from 1968 to 2016 to keep the conference moving forward to allow the exchange of cutting-edge science and to create a meeting where students would be of primary importance.