Australia . . . Baja . . . Scandinavia . . . China . . . How come geologists never do their field work in Cleveland? A childhood wonder at how the prehistoric ocean could have reached your home in Iowa sparked an intellectual curiosity that has led you on journeys around the world and here to our glacially dug, deep marble valley. It seems only appropriate that among the funders of your work has been National Geographic. That sense of wonder persists, as students report how infectious your enthusiasm for geology has been, and how traveling with you in the field resembles being with a kid in a candy store. So many goodies to pick, or, in your case, to pick at. Along the way you have become a world authority on the ecosystems of rocky shores and how they have changed over the ages. At the same time, you have studied and taught the history of the life sciences and mentored countless thesis students. But what those of us who have spent our research hours in dank libraries and laboratories marvel at most is how someone who spent his at the beach could have been disciplined enough to produce a list of publications of such staggering length.
I hereby declare you Charles L. MacMillan Professor of Natural Science, Emeritus, entitled to all the rights, honors, and privileges appertaining thereto.
June 3, 2012
Megamenu Social