In Memoriam: Walter Mauderli

1924-2005

by Lawrence T. Fitzgerald

Walter Mauderli, DSc, died 27 March 2005. Mauderli was a pioneer in the development of the field of medical physics. He earned his doctorate from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology under the teaching of such giants in physics as Nobel Laureate physicist Wolfgang Pauli

Mauderli trained in the dosimetry of low- and high-energy radiations at the University of Zurich Medical Center with Professor Rolf Wideroe, the developer of particle accelerators. Moving to the United States in 1954, Mauderli assumed a position at the University of Arkansas. In 1960 he became the first medical physicist at the University of Florida (UF) and retired as Professor Emeritus in 1988. He was also academically affiliated with the Departments of Nuclear Engineering Sciences and Environmental Engineering Sciences. In the 1960s Mauderli was one of the founders of the medical physics graduate program at UF and radiologic technology training programs at two regional community colleges. He supervised many graduate students in their master's and doctoral research efforts.

Active in developing the use of computers in radiology, Mauderli performed fundamental research in electronic instrumentation in the fields of therapeutic radiology and nuclear medicine. He had 68 publications in his scientific career.

He was a founding member of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and served on the initial board of directors with other leaders in the field such as John S. Laughlin, Leonard Stanton, Charles S. Simons, Robert J. Shalek, Edward W. Webster, John R. Cameron, Arnold Feldman, Paul N. Goodwin, Robert Loevinger, Alice L. McCrea, Jacques Ovadia, Elmer E. Stickley, Peter Wootton, Kenneth A. Wright, and Rosalyn S. Yalow.

In 2003, the Florida Chapter of AAPM honored Mauderli by naming a special award for him to recognize lifetime achievement in the field of medical physics in the state of Florida. This award bearing his name is given from time to time to a Florida medical physicist who is distinguished by significant scientific or clinical research, outstanding service as an educator in medical physics, or outstanding clinical service in medical physics.

Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Lotti Leuw Mauderli of Gainesville, Florida; daughters Claudine Mauderli of Eugene, Oregon, Patrizia Linero of Tallahassee, Florida, Priska Mauderli of Orlando, Florida, and Pamela Mauderli of Gainesville, Florida; a son, Walter Mauderli, Jr., of Gainesville, Florida; and three grandchildren.