Tribute

Environmental advocate Marlin Ralph Gottschalk 72C 76G 81G died May 23, 2011, after battling cancer. Gottschalk was director of the Sustainability Division of Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and a founder of metro-Atlanta’s nonprofit air quality advocacy organization, the Clean Air Campaign.

Adept at bringing together a wide range of institutional partners, Gottschalk led numerous projects that integrated environmental policy and planning with transportation, land use, and energy policy, and managed programs that reduced air pollution from vehicles in the Atlanta region and cleaned up releases from underground storage tanks.

Colleagues say he brought a rare combination of intellect and passion, vision and pragmatism, and humor to his work—making a compelling business case for sustainability while honoring the systems ecologist at his core.

On September 23, Gottschalk received the 2011 Robert S. Hascall Sustainability Innovator Awards posthumously, at an event hosted by Emory’s Office of Sustainability Initiatives. The award was accepted by his family, and the event was attended by many of his friends and coworkers.

“He volunteered with Emory’s sustainability initiative, attending our annual Green Networking Night to encourage Emory students to pursue their interests in sustainability-related professions,” says director Ciannat Howett 87C. “He served as friend, colleague, and mentor to many members of Georgia’s conservation community.”

Gottschalk is survived by his wife, Kathy Gottschalk 75C, and his children, Rachel Gottschalk 05C and Russell Gottschalk 07C.