Theme: Geology
John Byrne Oral History Interviews
Four life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
January - February 2014
John Byrne (b. 1928) has made an indelible impact on Oregon State University through
an association that has spanned over five decades. A trained geologist, Byrne arrived
in Corvallis in 1960 as one of Oregon State College's first faculty members in Oceanography.
Over time, Byrne assumed chairmanship of the Oceanography Department and later became
Dean of OSU's newly formed School of Oceanography. In 1976 Byrne moved into upper
administration, first as Dean of Research and later as Vice President for Research
and Graduate Studies. Following a three-year stint in Washington, D.C., where he
served as head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Byrne returned
to Corvallis as the twelfth President in OSU history. Byrne's presidency lasted from
1984-1995, a time period during which he did much to modernize university operations
amidst a budget crisis caused by significant reductions in state funding for higher
education. The Byrne oral history interviews trace the arc of his entire life, from
his childhood on Long Island to his graduate studies at USC, and on to his tenures
at Oregon State and with NOAA.
Brent Dalrymple Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
August 28, 2013
Brent Dalrymple (b. 1937) served as Dean of the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric
Sciences at Oregon State University from 1994 to 2001. Prior to his tenure at OSU,
Dalrymple was a distinguished geologist with the United States Geological Survey -
where he conducted important work on the Earth's magnetic field, among other areas
of interest - and a visiting professor at Stanford University's School of Earth Sciences.
In 2005 he received the National Medal of Science to honor "his pioneering work in
determining the geomagnetic polarity reversal timescale; a discovery that led to the
theory of plate tectonics." His interview focuses on the major themes of his career
at the USGS and Oregon State.
Mike McCallister Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna and Chris Petersen.
June 26, 2014
Mike McCallister (b. 1943), a 1967 OSU graduate in Geology, represents the fourth
generation of his family to graduate from Oregon State. An officer in the United
States Navy for nearly thirty years, McCallister served tours of duty in multiple
locations throughout the Pacific, including Guam, Vietnam, Hawaii and the Philippines.
A trained oceanographer, meteorologist and geophysicist, McCallister has also worked
for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the Snohomish County
Emergency Management Agency, and in the private sector, where he researches renewable
tidal energy. His interview focuses on his career in the military and his family's
deep roots at Oregon State.
Dawn Wright Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
June 10, 2016
Dawn Wright (b. 1961) was an active member of the Geosciences faculty at OSU from
1995 to 2011. Now a Courtesy Professor at Oregon State, Wright is the Chief Scientist
at Esri, a Geographic Information Systems software firm with headquarters in southern
California. Nicknamed "Deep Sea Dawn," Wright is internationally recognized for her
use of GIS technologies to map both the geology and the geography of the ocean floor.
A veteran of dozens of ocean cruises, Wright has also participated in multiple ALVIN
submersible dives to explore the depths of the ocean. She is the recipient of numerous
awards including, in 2007, the Carnegie Foundation's U.S. Professor of the Year Award
for the state of Oregon. Her interview details the roots of her love for the ocean
and for science; her progression through academia; and her memories of an accomplished
career at OSU.