Interviewer: Esme Burnett
Interview Date: February 12, 2020
Location: VanRiper residence, Corvallis, Oregon
Duration: 1:20:51
In this interview, Froggi (Ramona) VanRiper discusses growing up in Northern Virginia, her great love of the outdoors and animals from a young age, and how she got the name Froggi. VanRiper also details the early mentor who took her for hikes and the time she spent working at a wildlife center as a teen. She then goes on to describe her time at Principia College in Illinois studying natural resources, and the activities she participated in as an undergraduate. She likewise discusses how growing up with religious parents impacted her study of biology.
From there, VanRiper talks about how after college she went on to teach high school biology and learned to recognize the strengths of individual students. She discusses how she decided to return to school to obtain a masters degree in sustainability, and how she chose to study at a university in Linkoping, Sweden. VanRiper details how life in Linkoping was unfamiliar and refreshing, and how the diversity of the students studying alongside her led to an enriching experience. She elaborates on her experiences by discussing differences in transportation and shopping, and philosophies about sustainability.
She next talks about moving back to Illinois, choosing to move to Corvallis with her husband, her decision to return to school and pursue a PhD in environmental sciences at Oregon State University, and how the program's lack of structure and departmental oversight makes being a student and employee difficult. She expands on her time at OSU by discussing her participation in the Coalition of Graduate Employees, and how bargaining works. She explains how a lack of resources and a living wage for graduate employees means many graduate employees live in debt and are at risk of becoming homeless or dropping out due to unexpected expenses.
As the interview moves toward its conclusion, VanRiper talks about how graduate employees cope with the intense emotions of bargaining through humor and self-expression, as well as promoting solidarity among themselves. She discusses what sustainability means to her personally, and how she attempts to live her life sustainably while acknowledging that things must change at a systemic level, even at OSU. The interview finishes with a discussion of Froggi's hobbies, her views on gender, and how she has felt excluded from spaces in the past for being a woman.
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From there, VanRiper talks about how after college she went on to teach high school biology and learned to recognize the strengths of individual students. She discusses how she decided to return to school to obtain a masters degree in sustainability, and how she chose to study at a university in Linkoping, Sweden. VanRiper details how life in Linkoping was unfamiliar and refreshing, and how the diversity of the students studying alongside her led to an enriching experience. She elaborates on her experiences by discussing differences in transportation and shopping, and philosophies about sustainability.
She next talks about moving back to Illinois, choosing to move to Corvallis with her husband, her decision to return to school and pursue a PhD in environmental sciences at Oregon State University, and how the program's lack of structure and departmental oversight makes being a student and employee difficult. She expands on her time at OSU by discussing her participation in the Coalition of Graduate Employees, and how bargaining works. She explains how a lack of resources and a living wage for graduate employees means many graduate employees live in debt and are at risk of becoming homeless or dropping out due to unexpected expenses.
As the interview moves toward its conclusion, VanRiper talks about how graduate employees cope with the intense emotions of bargaining through humor and self-expression, as well as promoting solidarity among themselves. She discusses what sustainability means to her personally, and how she attempts to live her life sustainably while acknowledging that things must change at a systemic level, even at OSU. The interview finishes with a discussion of Froggi's hobbies, her views on gender, and how she has felt excluded from spaces in the past for being a woman.