Doug Yule passed away on October 1 at the age of 61 following a ten-year journey with bladder cancer. He died peacefully at home with his family and beloved dog, Louie.
Growing up in the Rocky Mountains led Doug to develop twin passions for nature and the Earth. After graduating from Fort Collins High School in 1979, he went on to Pomona College where he graduated with a B.S. in Geology (1983); at Pomona, he played varsity football and baseball and was a member of the Kappa Delta fraternity. After graduation he earned a M.S. in Geology from the University of Wyoming (1988), and a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from Caltech in 1996 and held post-doctoral positions at USC and Caltech.
Doug began his career in 2000 as a professor of Geological Sciences at California State University, Northridge, a position he held until his death in 2022. He was an admired colleague, teacher, and mentor. His field geology classes and field trips were legendary; his work at CSUN and as a researcher of the San Andreas Fault inspired a generation of geologists. Doug also conducted research in Nepal, Pakistan, India, Tobago, and the Klamaths of southern Oregon.
Doug loved his family, friends, students, and colleagues deeply. He especially loved being Dad to Ian and Jackson; he contributed his time and energy as a volunteer at Walden School and Flintridge Prep. His kindness and generosity defined him personally and professionally; he lived life with gusto and determination and refused to let circumstances, however harrowing, define him. We are beyond grateful for the additional time that Dr. Sumanta Pal and the team at City of Hope gave us together. The last six-plus years at City of Hope allowed Doug to continue living the life that he wanted to live on his terms.
In lieu of flowers, we request that donations be made to the CSUN Doug Yule Memorial Field Camp Fund: engage.csun.edu/yule and/or to Dr. Pal’s research at City of Hope: ourhope.cityofhope.org/dougyule.
