Joan H. Marks

Joan H. Marks (February 4, 1929 – September 14, 2020) was an American educator and genetic counseling advocate. She wrote several papers in support of the then-burgeoning field of genetic counseling and was the longest-serving director of Sarah Lawrence College's Human Genetic graduate program, the first of its kind in the United States.

Biography

Career Marks joined the Sarah Lawrence College Human Genetics program in 1972, becoming its program director in 1973. Marks went on to serve as the director of the program for 26 years, retiring in 1998. She was succeeded by Caroline Lieber. During her time as the director she was an active advocate for genetic counseling, giving talks and writing articles arguing for the importance of genetic counseling. She also grew the program to be the largest in the nation, which it continues to be to this day.

Marriage and children Joan Marks was married to Paul Marks for 67 years and had 3 children. American Society of Human Genetics Award for Excellence in Medical Genetics Education in 2003