William J. Serow

William J. "Bill" Serow, 57, a Florida State University economics professor and former director of the FSU Center for the Study of Population, died Wednesday of a heart attack in Halle, Germany. He was serving as a guest lecturer at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. He left for Halle on Oct. 27. During his 22 years at Florida State, Serow served as director of FSU's Center for the Study of Population for more than a decade until his retirement from that position in June. A scholarship has been established in his name through the FSU Foundation. His colleagues say Serow had an excellent work ethic and was dedicated to his career. "We go back to 1981, and he never slowed down," said David Rasmussen, dean of FSU's College of Social Sciences. "He was a valuable colleague, and it's a big loss." Serow, an author and scholar, published several papers and books on demography and has consulted with foreign governments, including Indonesia and the Netherlands, on economic demography.