University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Recognition

I was all but oblivious to the natural world as a child, perhaps a result of growing up in a large city. Though I enjoyed math and the sciences, I was indifferent to biology — until I saw David Attenborough on this public television series. What a remarkable gift for revealing the beauty and wonder of nature. I give no small credit to him and Carl Sagan, another giant of science communication, for steering my career towards environmental science at a time when I was floundering around in college with a major that I was good at but had no passion for.