Thursday, February 26, 2009

Two Degrees from President Obama

Back in January I was delighted to learn that President Obama had appointed my college ecology professor, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). All personal bias aside, he could not have made a better choice.

Dr. Lubchenco had previously received a “genius grant,” one of the MacArthur Fellowship awards for the year 1993, just one of many recognitions for her work in marine biology, climate change, and teaching. It is truly a gifted person who can be both a scholar and a public figure able to articulate complex scientific concepts to a general audience.

Dr. Lubchenco was among the most patient and available of all the instructors I had during my attendance at Oregon State University, even providing students with her home phone number. She remains an inspiration to me today, and a fine example of where hard work, dedication, humility, and passion can take you. Nice people really can finish first! Good luck, Dr. L!

No comments:

Post a Comment