Evelyn V. Stevens, a self-taught information technology expert who shared her expertise with the University of Delaware community for more than 45 years, passed away after a long illness on May 8, 2021, one day short of her 81st birthday.

In 1973, Dr. Stevens was recruited by the University’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and then joined Information Technologies-User Services as an information resource consultant, staying in that department for the remainder of her time at UD, retiring in 2019.

She was highly admired for her professional skills, much sought after as a teacher and always available to assist colleagues in solving seemingly intractable challenges.

Dick Sacher, retired associate director of Research Data Management, said, “Evelyn was a member of our IT Research Support group for over 15 years. Her gentle approach and humility made her a welcome consultant to the wide group of UD faculty and staff who approached her for assistance. Attendees of her short courses frequently told me how much they appreciated her clear, accessible and patiently delivered presentations.

“She left her mark on UD’s mission through her design and development of desktop and web-accessible departmental databases,” he said. “Some of her notable administrative systems included the Physical Therapy clinical research database, the Student Judicial System tracking database and the Athletic Department’s Football Recruiting database. Her efforts supporting instruction and research included web-accessible high-quality image databases of the University Museums’ large visual resource collections and mineralogical collections and the Delaware Geological Survey’s pollen database, among others. Evelyn’s meticulous efforts were much valued by the community she long supported.”

Born in London, England, she grew up in Buenos Aires, where she received her high school education. She graduated from the National University of Buenos Aires with a Ph.D. in biochemistry, for which she was awarded a gold medal. She came to the United States as a postdoctoral fellow at Rockefeller University in New York City in 1971.

Dr. Stevens loved communing with nature and spent many summer vacations in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She enjoyed traveling, listening to classical music and reading.

She is survived by her brother, John Stevens (Yee-Wan) of Atlanta, Georgia, and many cousins. Services were held privately.

Donations in Dr. Stevens' memory may be made to Habitat for Humanity International, 322 West Lamar St., Americus, Georgia 31709, or The Nature Conservancy, Attn: Treasury, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203.

To leave online condolences, visit Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home.