What were the chances that I’d have a career in biology as a professor? Slim to none would have been my answer when I started college back in 1973, but somehow it happened. That I would major in biology was never questioned, and I never wavered, even though I barely survived my first two years. But in August 2000, as I rolled west down I-84 through the Columbia Gorge with the largest truck U-Haul would rent (whose sides acted like a sail on a ship for those unruly gorge winds), my family and I began the next stage in our lives: new members of the Portland, Oregon, population. We all had to make serious adjustments to the big city from our small-town central New York life. I had been denied tenure at my previous job, close to a death knell for an academic and had been on the job hunt for two years without success. The PSU job advertisement seemed written for me, but denial of tenure was like the red A worn by Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter…a mark of shame that nearly all universities didn’t want to touch. But my sense of PSU when I interviewed was that denial of tenure was almost a badge of honor because PSU’s biology department struck me as being a bit like the Oakland Raiders of the NFL…they were always willing to trust themselves and pick up the cast-offs. And so there I was, the newest assistant professor starting my job at the age of 45. Thank you Deb Duffield! I am certain that you are the main reason I was selected.
And now, here I am, 69 years old and ready to retire. I passed a number of milestones along the way and met a tremendous number of people that influenced the course of my career at PSU. Richard (“Dick”) Forbes must be acknowledged. I filled his position after he retired and he gently eased me into his courses and was the person who suggested that my research from New York could possibly be transitioned over to Oregon because of the unanticipated presence of my primary study critter in eastern Oregon, the Eastern Kingbird. Dick very tragically died only two years after my arrival. He was a much-loved soul whose loss was felt by many. His suggestion that Eastern Kingbirds might be abundant enough at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge to support my population and behavioral studies proved correct and resulted in 10 years of amazingly fruitful and enjoyable work in the desert of southeastern Oregon. Seven students, two Ph.D. and six Masters degrees (1 student completed both), plus 28 publications, were the ultimate products of that research. Separate, simultaneously running projects that focused on the population and community ecology of vertebrates in Portland’s urban greenspaces produced more graduate degrees (two Ph.D. and eight Masters) but not as many publications (9). Nonetheless, I’m proud to say that our urban research helped shape Portland’s criteria for identifying valuable lands for preservation and incorporation into the park system.
Research in the desert of southeastern Oregon merits further comment. My time with students at Malheur for the summer months was enjoyable but challenging. The vast landscapes and solitude of Malheur were, and still are, a magnet for me that provides an escape from city life. However, the dust, heat and separation from my family, but mostly the mosquitoes, tested me; can you imagine having to wipe the mosquitoes off of your eyelids so that you can use binoculars? Yes, they were at times that bad, but amazingly, we grew to largely ignore them (only after a thorough bathing with DEET!). Amy Dolan, the linchpin of much of our research at Malheur, was co-advised with Deb Duffield. Amy’s contributions through her lab skills, which continued beyond her time as a grad student, provided the foundation for our studies of the kingbird extra-pair mating system. I can’t mention every student, but Luke Redmond merits acknowledgment. He had the longest tenure in the field and carried heavy responsibilities for overseeing the crew when I wasn’t able to be there, especially during my tour of duty as chair of the department (2006-09). Amy and Luke have both gone on to become professors in biology departments, while a third kingbird student, Nate Cooper, holds a position in the Migratory Bird Center of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Former students from my urban green spaces project have also done well: Sarah Bartos Smith holds a position at Dartmouth College as a senior lecturer, Nathan Lichti is a visiting assistant professor at Purdue University, while Amy Shipley works for Ducks Unlimited, Wisconsin. Indeed, nearly all of the 23 students who obtained advanced degrees with me are employed in positions within biology and/or education. I won’t lay claim to their success, but I (and PSU) provided opportunities and it has been gratifying to watch their success.
Given my experience of denial of tenure, I had become acutely aware of the importance of that decision and was relieved to be promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2004, and then to Full Professor in 2010. The supposed reason for denial of tenure at my previous job was “poor teaching”, a contrived claim that was able to be rejected with my winning of the John Eliot Allen Outstanding Teacher Award for Biology in 2003, and subsequent selection for the same award in 2010, 2014, and 2018. Teaching has always been important to me and I was fortunate to teach courses that, frankly, were a delight. Standing in front of a class and being the “sage on stage” has always been like an addictive drug…it grabbed hold of me and didn’t let go. Handing the teaching over to students for group learning and serving as “the guide on the side” has always smacked me as shirking one’s responsibilities as there is no way that a group of 3 or 4 students ignorant of the material could ever match the knowledge available in the mind of the professor who has devoted his or her entire adult life to learning a particular subject. Call me a dinosaur, but when it comes to teaching, nothing matches the knowledge, enthusiasm, and preparation by the professor.
Teaching at PSU also offered a set of challenges different from my previous experiences. The composition of the PSU student body is diverse, and I’ve taught the “typical” 18-22 year-old, but I’ve also had a dentist in her 50s who was retooling for medical school, and everything in between. In my 12 years at my previous job, I never had to deal with pregnant students, divorces, homicides, parents with runaway children, or overt sexual messages awaiting me on the podium before teaching! At PSU I was dealing with students who were not ensconsed in the comfortable 4-year undergraduate experience. No, my students were often first-generation college students or others working on second degrees, who worked and raised children along with taking classes…real-world people who regularly required a personal touch to get past obstacles to completion of degrees. PSU is the university of access for Oregon, a status not acknowledged by the state. We are a relatively new university without a wealthy alumni base that often leaves us financially challenged. I can only hope that the state someday realizes our unique contribution to education in Oregon and provides greater assistance in hard times. That being said, we’ve always pushed ahead and I’m proud to have been a member of this department. Hard times build character, and I can say with a smile on my face, that this department has its share of characters!
So my time as a professor is all used up. I’d like to say that I’m looking forward to meeting the next person to fill my position, but it seems the university will not be searching for a replacement. A tragic decision that will harm our program. But there is a time to walk away, and for me, that time is now. We all say that we have “things to work on” after we retire and I certainly do, beginning with a number of papers and a book on kingbirds in need of completion. I expect my gardens at home will receive more attention, and that my daughters will call on me for additional childcare when they need it. After all, what is my point in being here if not to help the next generation! Time inexorably marches on and before my time has fully run out I hope that my wife and I will also take a few of those trips we’ve always talked about. Italy is looking pretty good at this point! The best of luck to all of you….it has been a great run and I thank all who have made it possible.