ENHS Nature Trails Oct 99 Article 1

This month's speaker: An interview with Doug Toomey

What is the geography of your childhood?
Southwestern Pennsylvania, small rural town. Just in the foothills of Chestnut Ridge, the western flank of the Appalachians

How did you get interested in natural history?
I have always liked sports, hiking, travel and adventures. I have also liked maths and physics. Hence...geophysics

Did you have nature hobbies? ...were parents involved?
I wasn't much for hobbies (except sports) and seldom joined clubs. I much preferred being outside with friends, generally playing and exploring. As a family we traveled throughout the U.S. by car, sometimes to visit my father's family who are from Oregon. We camped along the way, and generally spent as much time as possible out of doors

Are there teachers or other individuals who inspired you? Any inspirational travels?
Roberto Clemente The inspirational part of travel is usually the next trip

Where did you get your education?
Penn State (B.Sc.) and the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography (Ph.D.). Upon beginning graduate school I immediately went to sea for a couple of months (the central Atlantic) to participate in a seismological study of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Following that I was then sent to Iceland for a month to visit with Icelandic volcanologists and to see the rift. These experiences greatly solidified my interests in geophysics and the importance of field work.

How did you come to Eugene, and what do you do here?
How did you come to Eugene, & what do you do here? To work at the UO. I am a professor, come visit my web page:
http://hydros.cs.uoregon.edu/drt

What are you going to talk about?
Our ongoing project to study the origins of the Galapagos Archipelago.

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