Background
Sokoloff, Alexander Dimitrovitch was born on May 16, 1920 in Tokyo, Japan. Came to the United States, 1938. Son of Dimitri Fyodorovitch and Sofia Alexandrovna (Solovieff) Sokoloff.
Sokoloff, Alexander Dimitrovitch was born on May 16, 1920 in Tokyo, Japan. Came to the United States, 1938. Son of Dimitri Fyodorovitch and Sofia Alexandrovna (Solovieff) Sokoloff.
Associate of Arts, University of California at Los Angeles, 1942; AB, University of California at Los Angeles, 1948; Doctor of Philosophy, University of Chicago, 1954.
From 1965 to 1990 he was a Professor of Biology at California State University, San Bernardino, serving for part of that time as Department Chair. In high school, Sokoloff"s early interests in biology and genetics lead him to work as a field assistant for the evolutionary population geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky. At the age of 15, Sokoloff emigrated to the United States. to study biology.
He earned his Bachelor of Surgery degree in Zoology at the University of California, Los Angeles and his Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of Chicago in the laboratory of Thomas Park.
During the second world war, Sokoloff served in the Army Air Force. After the war, he engaged in research in genetics and evolution at Hofstra University, Northern New York Agriculture Research Institute, the Botanical Association at University of California Los Angeles, and the University of California Berkeley.
In 1965, Sokoloff became Professor of Biology at the newly-constructed California State College, San Bernardino, where he served as Chair in the Department of biology. mentoring students in genetic research, and teaching genetics, entomology and evolution until his retirement in 1990. Many of the genetic mutants discovered by Sokoloff are still in use and are housed in the world Tribolium Stock Center at the United States Department of Agriculture-ARS Center for Grain and Animal Health Research in Manhattan, Kansas.
This work led to further arthropod genomics research by other biologists, culminating in the publication of complete genome sequence of Tribolium castaneum in 2008.
Served to sergeant United States Army Air Force, 1942-1946. Fellow Royal Entomological Society of London. Member Society Study of Evolution, Genetics Society of America, American Genetic Association, American Society Naturalists, American Society Zoologists, Genetics Society of Canada, Japanese Society Population Ecology, Entomological Society of America, Sigma Xi.
Lodges: Elks.
Married Barbara B. Bryant, June 24, 1956. Children: Alexandra, Elaine A., Michael A.