Janet Westpheling, 1951-2025

Longtime professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ genetics department, Janet (Jan) Westpheling passed away Feb. 16 after an extended illness. 

Westpheling's UGA legacy will be honored through a Foundation Fellowship fund:

“Jan was a dear friend and an extraordinary member of the UGA faculty,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “She was a devoted mentor to many students, a responsible and dedicated University leader, and a thoughtful and engaged scholar.”

In 1990, Westpheling joined UGA’s genetics department as an assistant professor. She rose through the ranks and was promoted to professor with tenure in 2003. She also held an adjunct professor position in the microbiology department.

During her time at University of Georgia, Westpheling directed an internationally recognized research program studying the regulation of antibiotic synthesis and developing innovative genetic methods to produce biofuels and bioproducts in important but understudied microorganisms. She trained and mentored numerous undergraduates, 13 graduate students and 14 postdoctoral fellows and published 72 peer-reviewed articles.

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Image: Jan Westpheling (Photo by Amy Ware)