Theme: Zoology
Andy Blaustein Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
February 3, 2017
Andy Blaustein (b. 1949) is a Distinguished Professor of Zoology who has worked at
OSU since 1978. A leading scholar of animal behavior and chemical ecology, Blaustein
has conducted especially important work on amphibian deformities and population declines,
and on host-pathogen biology. Formerly the director of OSU's graduate program in Environmental
Science, Blaustein is also a long-time editor of the journal Conservation Biology. In his interview, Blaustein traces his career in research and teaching, and shares
his institutional memories of four decades spent at Oregon State University.
Paul Farber Oral History Interviews
Two life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
October 2014
Paul Farber (b. 1944) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the History of Science
who worked at OSU from 1970 to his retirement in 2008. During his tenure as a member
of the OSU faculty, Farber served as chair of the General Science department and,
after the department's dissolution, the History department as well. A scholar of
the naturalist tradition and evolutionary ethics, Farber has published on a variety
of subjects, including the history of ornithology and changes in American views on
race mixing. His interviews focus on his evolution as a historian, the means by which
he acquired his scholarly toolkit, and his memories of General Science and History
over four decades working at OSU.
Memories of Hatfield Marine Science Center
A series of interview vignettes conducted by Mike Dicianna.
April 12, 2015
Established by Oregon State University in 1965 on Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon,
the Marine Science Center - re-named for Oregon Governor and Senator Mark Hatfield
in 1983 - is both a leading marine research laboratory and a center for instruction
of university students and the interested public alike. In April 2015, HMSC hosted
a reunion of past students, faculty and staff, four of whom contributed their memories
of the center on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary. These interviews, conducted
with Range Bayer, Warren Hanson, John Markham and Anja Robinson, touch on the evolution
and impact of the Hatfield Center as observed over multiple decades.
Jane Lubchenco Oral History Interviews
Two life history interviews conducted by Janice Dilg.
October 2014 - April 2015
Jane Lubchenco (b. 1947), Distinguished Professor of Zoology, is among the most accomplished
scientists to have ever served as a member of the OSU faculty. Professors in the
Zoology Department since 1977, Lubchenco and her husband, Bruce Menge, have contributed
greatly to the scientific understanding of marine ecosystems around the world. Since
the late 1980s, Lubchenco has also been actively involved in the formation of science
policy, especially as it relates to the nation's coastlines and oceanic environments.
In 2009 Lubchenco was confirmed as the first female head of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, a post that she held until 2013. Her interviews discuss
the arc of her education, her career path, highlights of her research program, her
increasing interest in public policy, and her tenure as leader of NOAA.
Frank Moore Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
April 11, 2017
Frank Moore (b. 1945) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Zoology who was an
active member of the OSU faculty from his arrival in Corvallis in 1975 to his retirement
in 2007. Moore is perhaps best known for his discovery of vasotocin, a hormone that
plays a major role in the reproductive behavior of many different types of animal
species, including the salamanders that Moore used as his primary research model.
Moore also made significant contributions to the scientific understanding of neurological
systems in amphibians. In his interview, Moore traces the unusual path that he took
to academia; comments on the major themes of his research; and shares his perspective
on his personal and academic partnership with Kathleen Dean Moore, herself an OSU
Distinguished Professor and acclaimed author.
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.