147:, where a mentor, Dr. Yvonne Harris, encouraged her to consider science, in spite of her disabilities. Her teachers describe her compensating for her disabilities through a combination of hard work, and creative alternatives. For instance, she did all her calculations, longhand, on paper, rather than use a calculator, because it helped her continue to visualize the meaning of the numbers. Harris described talking with her about how she was a visual thinker, and so she encouraged her to first draw pictures and diagrams of the information she wanted to present, and then use those drawings as an outline for her written presentations.
33:
158:, as a student intern, she found she had a gift for lab work. One of her superiors described her as having "golden hands", being able to coax DNA from particularly small and difficult biological samples. She earned an associate degree from Truman, and, while working at the Field Museum, finished a Bachelor of Science at
443:
In May of this year, Strozier, 34, received her master's degree in biology from Loyola
University Chicago and her master's degree in science education from UIC. With 12 years of research experience and what she describes as a dedicated personality—"I eat, breathe, sleep science," she said—she soon
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Her grandmother recounted being advised that Lynika's disability was so profound that she should take steps to have her placed on social assistance for the rest of her life—advice she rejected, having confidence that Lynika could overcome her difficulties, with sufficient effort and support.
121:, with her mother, when she was a toddler. Strozier's mother was a drug addict, who was not able to care for her properly, and her grandmother raised her from age 6. She was diagnosed with a learning disability at age 8 that profoundly affected both reading and math. According to
524:"People would tell me she's got a learning disability, go get a Social Security check for her," Ms. Wright said in an interview. "I said: 'She's not getting a check. She's going to learn.'" At Ms. Wright's urging, Lynika worked with a reading instructor and took summer classes.
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Harris said one of
Strozier's greatest transformations was in the way she presented her findings to large audiences. Strozier went from being someone with a quaky voice who was afraid to address her professors and peers to a sure-footed presenter.
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Her coworkers at the Field Museum started a GoFundMe page, not only to cover funeral expenses but to raise funds for a scholarship that would provide STEM opportunities for young
African American women.
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Larraín, Juan; Carter, Benjamin; Shaw, Blanka; Hentschel, Joern; Strozier, Lynika; Furuki, Tatsuwo; Heinrichs, Jochen; Crandall-Stotler, Barbara; Engel, John; Konrat, Matt von (June 16, 2015).
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181:—which colleagues describe as her dream job. In March 2020, the Gantz Family Collections Center at the Field Museum awarded Strozier the honorary role of Collections Associate.
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213:"Frullania knightbridgei, a new liverwort (Frullaniaceae, Marchantiophyta) species from the deep south of Aotearoa-New Zealand based on an integrated evidence-based approach"
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The Field Museum researcher and biology instructor, who died of complications associated with COVID-19, used DNA sequencing to identify new species of plants and birds.
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Younger, Jane L.; Strozier, Lynika; Maddox, J. Dylan; Nyári, Árpád S.; Bonfitto, Matthew T.; Raherilalao, Marie J.; Goodman, Steven M.; Reddy, Sushma (July 1, 2018).
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She became involved with mentoring students and summer interns who came to the Field, first informally and then, von Konrat said, more officially.
262:"The resurrection of Neohattoria Kamim. (Jubulaceae, Marchantiophyta): a six decade systematic conflict resolved through a molecular perspective"
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173:
She spent most of her scientific career at the Field Museum. In addition to her work at the Field Museum she was one of two scientists at the
426:"Inside SAIC's Bio Art Lab, where art is life—literally: In a basement below Michigan Avenue, poetry turns into viruses and yeast into music"
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Her last presentation was at
Argonne (National Laboratory), and she was a totally confident person with such an amazing presence,
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von Konrat, Matt; de Lange, Peter; Greif, Matthew; Strozier, Lynika; Hentschel, Jörn; Heinrichs, Jochen (January 2, 2012).
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177:'s science lab. In 2018, she finished two master's degrees, and in 2019 she started working as an adjunct professor at
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127:"when she read aloud, it was in such a halting manner that it sometimes sounded like she was gasping for breath."
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initiative, to start a scholarship in her name for young
African-American women entering the sciences.
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Lab work doesn't always equate with personality but
Strozier had an infectious energy
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458:"Field Museum scientist and 'inspiration' Lynika Strozier, 35, dies from coronavirus"
311:"Hidden diversity of forest birds in Madagascar revealed using integrative taxonomy"
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on a scholarship. But she did poorly, and returned to
Chicago. She then enrolled at
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parlayed her education into a research position at Rush
University Medical Center.
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People associated with the Field Museum of
Natural History
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Strozier finished high school, and went to study at the
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698:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois
16:American researcher and scientist (1984–2020)
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162:, and went on to earn master's degrees at
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703:21st-century African-American scientists
93:(August 28, 1984 – June 7, 2020) was an
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97:researcher and scientist who died from
683:21st-century American women scientists
663:Dominican University (Illinois) alumni
381:Dawn Turner Trice (February 6, 2012).
175:School of the Art Institute of Chicago
713:American scientists with disabilities
678:University of Illinois Chicago alumni
315:Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
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197:. Supporters raised funds through a
708:21st-century African-American women
673:University of Northern Iowa alumni
505:Richard Sandomir (June 19, 2020).
424:Paul Dailing (December 12, 2018).
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693:21st-century American biologists
668:Loyola University Chicago alumni
571:"Biologist Lynika Strozier Dies"
541:"Biologist Lynika Strozier Dies"
487:We came to rely on her for that.
84:Biology lab technician, lecturer
653:People from Birmingham, Alabama
595:Sarah Schulte (June 19, 2020).
539:Claire Jarvis (June 18, 2020).
479:and would make time for anyone.
168:University of Illinois, Chicago
156:Field Museum of Natural History
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456:Doug George (June 17, 2020).
103:COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois
195:COVID-19 pandemic in Chicago
150:When she started to work at
328:10.1016/j.ympev.2018.02.017
141:University of Northern Iowa
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688:American women biologists
275:10.3897/phytokeys.50.4940
193:in June 2020, during the
164:Loyola University Chicago
101:in June 2020, during the
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226:10.3897/phytokeys.8.2496
638:Scientists from Chicago
633:Scientists from Alabama
575:The Scientist Magazine
205:Selected publications
113:Strozier was born in
160:Dominican University
463:The Chicago Tribune
388:The Chicago Tribune
189:Strozier died from
124:The Chicago Tribune
115:Birmingham, Alabama
50:Birmingham, Alabama
512:The New York Times
179:Malcolm X College
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135:Academic career
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63:(2020-06-07)
61:June 7, 2020
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648:2020 deaths
643:1984 births
627:Categories
361:References
109:Early life
337:1055-7903
321:: 16–26.
284:1314-2003
266:PhytoKeys
235:1314-2003
217:PhytoKeys
608:June 21,
580:June 29,
552:June 21,
518:June 21,
469:June 21,
437:June 21,
394:June 21,
345:29474976
302:26140022
253:22287928
199:GoFundMe
191:COVID-19
99:COVID-19
95:American
73:Illinois
353:4854294
293:4489086
244:3254247
152:Chicago
119:Chicago
69:Chicago
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610:2020
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520:2020
471:2020
439:2020
396:2020
341:PMID
333:ISSN
298:PMID
280:ISSN
249:PMID
231:ISSN
166:and
75:, US
58:Died
52:, US
43:Born
323:doi
319:124
288:PMC
270:doi
239:PMC
221:doi
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