[Cross-post from Telliamed Revisited]
I am heartbroken to report that Devin Lake passed away suddenly a few days ago at the age of 30. Devin was a good friend to all who knew him, always eager to help in any way that he could, and an outstanding young scientist with a bright future.
Devin grew up in DeWitt, Michigan, and first visited my lab as a high-school student getting a tour of our long-term evolution experiment (LTEE). He came to MSU and majored in physics as an undergraduate, while also working closely with Neerja Hajela as an assistant in my lab. Devin decided to stay at MSU, doing double duty as a graduate student and lab manager after Neerja retired (see photo).
Devin recently completed his Ph.D. with a dual degree in Integrative Biology and the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program. In 2022, he received the Ralph Evans Award from the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics for his contributions to the understanding of microbial evolution, and in 2025 he received the award for outstanding dissertation research in the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program. Devin’s brilliant work included computer simulations of evolving bacterial populations that beautifully captured key features of the experiment that he had first encountered as a high-school student.
With Jeff Barrick’s return to MSU, along with the LTEE, Devin joined the team as a postdoc and lab manager. Devin was helping people in the new and old labs to the end.
I, and all of his friends old and new, will miss Devin dearly. It’s a great loss to science, and an even greater loss to those of us who knew him as a wonderful young man. May his memory be a blessing, and may he rest in peace.