Dr. Judith Rae Weaver Zyskind, an emeritus professor of biology at San Diego State University who helped establish the university’s molecular biology program, died Aug. 8, 2026 following a long illness. She was 87.

Born in Cincinnati to Max and Mary Weaver and raised in Dayton, Ohio, Zyskind overcame significant barriers facing women in advanced science during her early career. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from the University of Dayton before completing her doctorate at Iowa State University.

After conducting postdoctoral research in bacterial DNA replication at the University of California San Diego, Zyskind joined the biology faculty at SDSU in 1982. Arriving at the dawn of molecular biology at SDSU, she played a key role in developing the department’s recombinant DNA courses, certificate program, and laboratory textbook. Her research yielded cell-based technologies that advanced the understanding of DNA replication with direct applications in drug discovery. She co-founded the pharmaceutical company Rajabiotics—later renamed Elitra Pharmaceuticals—to search for new antibiotics, naming the firm in memory of a college roommate who died of a bacterial infection.

Beyond academia, Zyskind was an active mentor, volunteer, and outdoor enthusiast who enjoyed high-country hiking, off-roading, and cold-water swimming. She served as a docent at Torrey Pines State Park, was active in the Camp Nelson mountain house community, co-founded “The Walkers” of La Jolla Shores, and spent years as a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

Zyskind was preceded in death by her first husband, George Zyskind, a Holocaust survivor who died in 1974, and her brother, Edward Weaver.

She is survived by her husband of nearly 50 years, Doug Smith; daughters Aviva Zyskind (Walt Tunnessen) and Joy Strauss (Evan Yisrael Strauss); stepson Erik Smith (Ginger Smith); sister Sharon Baldassari (Tom); brother Alan Weaver (Carolyn); four grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; and her longtime “little sister,” Crys Scott.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Judith Zyskind Family Endowed Scholarship, which benefits SDSU undergraduate and graduate students focusing on molecular biology.