Kristi L. Kiick

Kristi L. Kiick, of Rising Sun, Maryland, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on Friday, January 2, 2026.  Kristi was born in Easton, Pennsylvania, to Kirby Miller Kiick and the late Judith Lynn (Haas) Kiick. She was a brilliant scientist, devoted educator, and deeply loved wife, mother, sister, and friend whose life was defined by curiosity, determination, thoughtfulness, and generosity of spirit.

Kristi grew up in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, where she graduated as salutatorian of her high school class in 1985.  She went on to attend the University of Delaware, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, followed by a Master’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Georgia.  Her professional career began in industry, where she first worked for Martin Marietta Energy Systems in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and then for Kimberly Clark Corporation in Roswell, Georgia.  In 1996, Kristi returned to academia to pursue a doctorate in Polymer Science and Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she studied with Prof. David Tirrell. It was there that she met her husband, Rick Beyer.

After earning her doctorate, Kristi moved with Rick to Maryland in 2001, where they married and she began a distinguished academic career at the University of Delaware.  Her time at Delaware was defined by leadership acumen, integrity, and dedication to her students.  In addition to her work as a researcher, she served as Deputy Dean of the College of Engineering and later as Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering.  She retired in 2023 with emeritus status, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy of mentorship, innovation, and service, having impacted countless students and colleagues.  In the spring of 2024, the University of Delaware Board of Trustees awarded her a Medal of Distinction, one of the University’s highest honors, for her service and leadership.

Kristi worked as hard in her personal life as she did professionally.  She and Rick begin their relationship with an epic road trip from Massachusetts to California, made three trips to Russia to start their family, and spent a year in the UK on sabbatical, an adventure entirely of her making.  She tirelessly worked to help her children thrive, find purpose, and become their best selves.  She loved landscaping and spent countless hours designing, planting, and tending, even as her health slipped.  She once recorded a streak of 1000 days with exercise.  She learned Spanish so she could work more effectively with her students from Mexico.  She and her family traveled extensively, and always with a detailed plan.

After her diagnosis, Kristi chose to live with remarkable purpose.  She spent her time seeing the world and cherishing every possible moment with her family and friends.  She became an expert in her illness, citing literature in conversation with her doctors.  At the same time, she transformed her personal challenge into a mission to help others – supporting the LMS community, lobbying for Medical Aid in Dying legislation in Maryland, and writing editorials to help improve understanding of women’s health and inspire hope.  In honor of her lifelong dedication to education and engineering, Kristi and Rick established a donor-advised fund in her name at the University of Delaware to support engineering education, ensuring that her impact will continue in years to come.  

Kristi’s strength, optimism, and selflessness made her an inspiration to all who knew her.  She will be remembered not only for her intellect and professional achievements, but also for her kindness, curiosity, strength, and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of others.  Her legacy lives on through her students, her colleagues, her family, and all those she inspired by the way she lived.

Kristi is survived by her loving husband Rick Beyer, of Rising Sun, MD; sons Yegor Beyer-Kiick and Kostya Beyer-Kiick, of Rising Sun, MD; sister, Karen Kiick (Michael Scotko) of Collingswood, NJ; father, Kirby Kiick, of New Holland, PA; sister-in-law, Julie Harrison (Steve) of Clinton, NC; nephew, Sam Harrison, of Charlotte, NC, and niece, Sarah Harrison, of Silver Springs, MD. She is preceded in death by her mother, Judith Lynn (Haas) Kiick.

In lieu of flowers, memorial  contributions can be made to the Leiomyosarcoma Support and Direct Research Foundation, or to the Kristi Kiick Engineering Education Ecosystem (E3) Support Fund in the College of Engineering at the University of Delaware.  Please send contributions to: University of Delaware, Gifts Processing, 83 E. Main St., 3rd Fl., Newark, DE 19716.  Make checks payable to: ‘University of Delaware’ and include on the memo line “In memory of Dr. Kristi Kiick”.  Gifts can also be made on the University of Delaware’s secure website.

A celebration of Kristi’s life and work will be held at the University of Delaware on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, in the lobby of the ISE Laboratory, 221 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware.  Details about the memorial, including RSVP information, can be found on the UD website.