Affiliation: College of Forestry
John Bliss Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
August 21, 2015
John Bliss (b. 1951) was the first Starker Chair in Private and Family Forestry, occupying
this position within the OSU College of Forestry from its inception in 1998 to his
move into administration in 2012. A leading researcher on private forest policy and
forest-based rural development, Bliss has conducted influential work on the socioeconomic
impact of the forestry industry, paying particular attention to the roles played by
small woodland foresters. From 2012 to his retirement in 2016, Bliss served as Associate
Dean for Graduate and International Programs within the College of Forestry and, in
this capacity, contributed significantly to the increasing internationalization of
the college. His interview traces the progression of his academic career; his close
involvement with research and experiential learning opportunities both globally and
in Oregon's rural communities; and the advancement of the OSU College of Forestry
during his years of association.
Jim Denison Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
September 24, 2014
Jim Denison (b. 1927) spent more than sixty years working in Oregon's forests as a
timber cruiser, land surveyor and forestry consultant, co-founding two companies along
the way - Denison Surveying and Coastal Land Management. A World War II veteran,
Denison attended Oregon State College from 1946-1950, majoring in Forest Engineering
and funded by the G.I. Bill. The primary focus of his interview is his long and multifaceted
career in forestry, with his OSC and military experiences included as secondary topics.
Becky Johnson Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
August 3, 2015
Becky Johnson (b. 1955), Vice President for OSU-Cascades, has led OSU's branch campus
in central Oregon since 2008. Prior to her shift into administration, Johnson was
a natural resources economist in the OSU College of Forestry, whose research and teaching
focused on the economic values and impacts of non-market resources. Johnson has been
a member of the Oregon State faculty since first arriving in Corvallis in 1984 and
her administrative appointments have included several years as Vice Provost for Academic
Affairs and International Programs. Her interview provides insight into curricular
and demographic shifts that she has observed within the College of Forestry; changes
in the leadership roles that women have assumed at OSU in recent decades; the history
and growth of OSU-Cascades; and Johnson's sense of challenges and opportunities that
are specific to OSU-Cascades and its mission.
Brenda McComb Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen and Kalia Flocker.
February 24, 2015
Brenda McComb was born William McComb in 1952. Over two stints at OSU, McComb worked
as a member of the faculty in the Department of Forest Sciences and Department of
Fisheries and Wildlife, as Dean of the Graduate School, as Vice Provost for Academic
Affairs, and as a member of the OSU Board of Trustees. In addition, McComb has been
central to the development of a support network for transgender individuals both on
campus and throughout the mid-Willamette Valley. Her interview focuses largely on
the story of her own gender journey, including discussion of the personal and professional
impacts of her gender transition from male to female. The session also touches upon
her work in academia as a faculty member, an administrator and an advocate.
Mike Newton Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
March 15, 2016
Mike Newton (b. 1932) is an Oregon State alum - having completed a master's degree
in Forestry in 1959 and a Ph.D. in Botany in 1964 - and also an emeritus member of
the OSU Forestry faculty. Over a forty-year career at Oregon State, Newton conducted
influential research on weed control in forested settings, work that took him to Vietnam
in the early 1970s to investigate the biological impact of Agent Orange. A highly
productive scholar, Newton also led long-term studies focusing on competition between
tree and plant species in areas of differing rainfall and soil type; tree growth in
cold weather climates; and the cultivation of mature forests through managed thinning
and harvesting. In his interview, Newton reflects primarily on the research that he
has conducted in forested areas all around the world, and on contemporary controversies
surrounding forest management. His upbringing in rural New England and his years as
a student at Oregon State College are also included as secondary topics.
Eighty Years of Starker Forests, Inc.
An interview with Gary Blanchard, Bond Starker and Anna (Starker) May, conducted by
Mike Dicianna.
August 29, 2016
Founded in 1936 by OAC alum and professor T.J. Starker, the Corvallis-based timber
management and harvest company Starker Forests, Inc. has been managed by four generations
of Starkers, each of them educated in Forestry at Oregon State University. The model
of a successful family business, Starker Forests, Inc. now manages over 85,000 acres
of forestland and employees twenty people full-time. In this interview, company CEO
Bond Starker, his daughter Anna (Starker) May, and long-time employee Gary Blanchard
share their memories of the company and of OSU, while also detailing the field innovations
and business acumen utilized by T.J. Starker and his son Bruce in building the company
into a regional powerhouse.
Steve Strauss Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
March 7, 2017
Steve Strauss (b. 1955) is a Distinguished Professor of Forest Biotechnology who has
been a member of the Forestry faculty at OSU since 1985. Over the course of his career,
Strauss has conducted groundbreaking research on tree genetics, using poplars as his
primary model organism. Much of this work has incorporated techniques of genetic engineering,
an issue that has become increasingly contentious over the course of Strauss' years
in academia. In his interview, Strauss traces the arc of his research and comments
on the many ways in which changes in the conventional wisdom have compelled him to
adapt or reorient his scholarly work. Strauss likewise provides valuable insight into
the evolution of the College of Forestry during the years of his association.
Tony Van Vliet Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
November 14, 2013
Tony Van Vliet (b. 1930) is both an alum and an emeritus member of the OSU faculty.
Van Vliet studied Forestry at Oregon State College, graduating with a B.S. in 1952
and attaining a master's degree in Forest Products in 1958. He began his teaching
career in 1955, a tenure that lasted until 1990 and included thirty-five years on
faculty in the College of Forestry. From 1971-1978, Van Vliet was also involved with
the university's Career Planning and Placement Center, serving as Director from 1978
until his retirement from OSU. Van Vliet likewise built a second career as a legislator
in the Oregon House of Representatives. A moderate Republican, Van Vliet served in
Salem from 1974-1995, during which time he focused on support for education and revision
of the state's tax system. His interview focuses on his background and early years,
his experiences as an OSC student, his memories of working in the legislature, and
his successful advocacy of the Corvallis Riverfront project.
Dick Waring Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
December 18, 2015
Dick Waring (b. 1935) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Forest Science who
was an active member of the OSU Forestry faculty from 1963 to his retirement in 2001.
Waring's career at OSU was characterized by influential research on a number of topics
in forest science, from building models of the flow of carbon and water through forest
systems, to investigations of trees' defenses against bark beetles and spruce budworm.
In the 1980s, he developed a relationship with NASA that led to multiple projects
utilizing remote sensing technology to better understand forest systems. More recently,
he has turned his attention to climate change and the future of the world's forests,
co-authoring a 2014 book on the subject titled Forests in Our Changing World. Waring's interview details his wide range of research interests over the decades,
and includes commentary on the evolution of the OSU College of Forestry as well.