Theme: Entomology
George Poinar Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
October 23, 2014
George Poinar (b. 1936) is a Courtesy Faculty member in the OSU Department of Entomology
who has lived in Corvallis since retiring from the University of California, Berkeley
in 1995. Poinar is internationally known for his groundbreaking research in Paleoentomology.
In the mid-1970s, Poinar and his wife, Roberta, created an entirely new field of study
when they began actively collecting, analyzing and describing long-extinct insect
and animal specimens that had been trapped for millennia in fossilized amber. Poinar's
work inspired author Michael Crichton to write his best-selling novel, Jurassic Park, and indeed, many of Poinar's scientific discoveries - ranging from extinct flowers
to giant fleas to a theory that parasites may have killed off the dinosaurs - have
made headlines of their own. In his interview, Poinar discusses the path that he
followed through academia, the many travels that he has taken in pursuit of scientific
discovery, and the details of his pioneering work with ancient amber.
Jon Shepard Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
January 23, 2015
Jon Shepard (b. 1941) graduated from OSU in 1963, earning a degree in Biology. Beginning
in junior high school and running through his years at Oregon State and beyond, Shepard's
chief professional and personal interest has been lepidoptery, the study butterflies
and moths. Based primarily in British Columbia from the early 1970s to 2014, Shepard
pursued a career as a lepidopterist by teaching at community colleges, filling in
for colleagues who were away on sabbatical, and engaging in contract work, all the
while pursuing his own research and collecting projects. His interview traces his
years at OSU and documents a few highlights of his many years of devotion to a more
detailed understanding of butterflies, moths, and other insects.