Janet Westpheling was born to Laura and Thomas Westpheling in Clarksdale, Mississippi, July 11, 1951. Jan is survived by her husband, David Garfinkel, sisters, Judy Hauenstein of Columbus, Ohio and Monica (Jerry) Jennings of Clarksdale, Mississippi, and many cousins. Among them, a very special recognition goes to Tony (Sonny) Correro of Atlanta, Georgia. Jan and Sonny have been dear friends since childhood. She also leaves behind stepdaughters Amanda Young and Emily Winicki and several step grandchildren. Jan was preceded in death by her parents, Laura and Thomas Westpheling, her sister Martha Morgan of Amory, Mississippi, and her brother-in-law Harry Hauenstein. Jan graduated from Carmel High School, Carmel IN (1969). She earned BS (1972) and MS (1974) degrees in Microbiology at Purdue University and a PhD (1980) at the John Innes Institute in Norwich, England. Jan was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1981) and Harvard University (1982-86) prior to joining the research faculty at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (1987). Jan was recruited as an Assistant Professor (1990) by the Department of Genetics at the University of Georgia. Jan rose through the ranks and was promoted to Professor with tenure (2003). Jan directed an internationally recognized research program where she studied the regulation of antibiotic synthesis and developed innovative genetic methods to produce biofuels and bioproducts in important but understudied microorganisms. Her work was supported by the University of Georgia and research grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy. Jan trained and mentored numerous undergraduates, 13 graduate students, 14 postdoctoral fellows, and published 72 peer-reviewed articles. Among her honors and service, Jan was awarded a Creative Research Medal (2000) and Award (2015) from the University of Georgia. Jan was named a Senior Foundation Fellow (1995-2001) and helped recruit and advise undergraduate Foundation Fellows (1992-2024) at the University of Georgia. Jan was very active in the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (SIMB) for over 30 years. She served as Treasurer and member of the Board of Directors (2011-17), SIMB President (2018-21) and received the Charles Porter Award for service (2022).
A gathering of family and friends will be held from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, Saturday, March 8, 2025, in Bernstein Funeral Home, immediately followed by a celebration of Jan’s life in the funeral home chapel, followed by a catered reception in the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Janet Westpheling Memorial Fund in the Jere W. Morehead Honors College, which will provide support for the Foundation Fellowship and College, ensuring that Jan’s legacy of dedication to students continues: give.uga.edu/westpheling
Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of funeral arrangements, BernsteinFuneralHome.com
The service will be on Facebook Live on Bernstein Funeral Home Facebook Page.
