Theme: Astronomy
Jack Higginbotham Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
November 3, 2015
Jack Higginbotham (b. 1958) has been a member of OSU's Nuclear Engineering faculty
since arriving in Corvallis in 1987, and has led the Oregon Space Grant program since
2002. During his years at Oregon State, Higginbotham has also served as Senior Reactor
Operator and Senior Health Physicist at the OSU Radiation Center; chair of the Radiation
Health Physics program; Associate Dean of the Graduate School; and President of the
Faculty Senate. In a wide-ranging interview, Higginbotham discusses his education
and academic work in nuclear science and engineering; his institutional memories of
Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science at OSU; and the activities of Oregon Space
Grant during his years of association.
Don Pettit Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
March 26, 2014
Don Pettit (b. 1955), a native of Silverton, attended OSU from 1973-1978, graduating
with a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering. After completing his Ph.D. at the
University of Arizona, Pettit began work at the National Laboratory in Los Alamos,
New Mexico. In 1996 he was selected to become a NASA astronaut and, in 2002, he participated
in his first spaceflight, Expedition 6, during which he spent over five months on
the International Space Station. While at NASA, Pettit has logged more than a year
in space, during which time he has filmed and televised experiments from space for
a series titled "Saturday Morning Science." His interview focuses on his upbringing
in Oregon, his undergraduate experience at OSU, and highlights from his career as
an astronaut.