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TBCC: Tell us a little about you and your family?
Dr. Bob: I met my wife, Carol, at Oregon State University while I was working on my MS degree. We left OSU to move to
Albuquerque, NM, where I would complete my Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico. Our first child, Andrea, was born while
we were at UNM and she went into the field with us while I carried out field research for my doctorate. After completing my
degree, our family went to Namibia, Africa for 3 years where I took a post-doctoral position at a research station in the Namib
desert and carried out research in desert ecology. While there, our second daughter, Serena, was born.
Upon returning to the States, I met with TBCC's founding president, Roy Mason, and took a position at TBCC, initially
installing new computer technology and conducting staff training, and subsequently teaching various computer and biology
courses.
Our youngest daughters, Sonia and Sarah, the twins, were born here in Tillamook. Our oldest daughter graduated from the
University of Oregon and then spent just over 2 years in Swaziland, Africa with the Peace Corps, where she was involved in
HIV education; our second daughter graduated from St. Catherine's Women's College in St. Paul, MN, with a degree in social
work and is currently working for a medical marketing firm in Chicago, IL; Sonia and Sarah are both pursuing their college
careers - Sonia is working on her bachelors degree at Hawaii Pacific University, in International Relations specializing in
Arabic, while Sarah just competed her baccalaureate degree at the University of Idaho, majoring in Fashion Design.
TBCC: What are your hobbies?
Dr. Bob: Whenever I can, I like to get out into nature, whether it be through hiking or just being out and about in Hebo,
where we live. Although we have been here for a long time, the rain is still a challenge, especially for someone with a desert
background. Nonetheless, we certainly enjoy the rural setting. Another avocation of mine, which is well suited to our climate, is
technolog.. specifically computers. I enjoy trouble-shooting problems, building them, and "making them work."
TBCC: Where did you earn your degree(s)?
Dr. Bob: I received my A.A. degree at San Francisco City College, my B.A. at California State University at San Francisco, my
M.S at Oregon State University, and my Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque, NM.
TBCC: What brought you to Tillamook Bay Community College?
Dr. Bob: After our return from Namibia, in late 1987, Carol and I traveled to Tillamook to reacquaint ourselves with a
friend and former colleague, Roy Mason, who just happened to be the president of TBCC. After a number of discussions,
Roy determined that I could be an asset to him in the installation, set-up and training for the college's upgrade to what were
revolutionary computers at the time, the IBM PS/2 line of personal computers. I was initially hired on contract to get the new
PS/2s up and running and to train staff on their use. Subsequently, my contract evolved into a full-time position involving both
technology and biology (teaching and maintenance) and most recently into a purely biology teaching position.
TBCC: How long have you worked at TBCC?
Dr. Bob: I began at TBCC in November of 1987 and I have been here ever since.
TBCC: What have been the biggest changes over the past 30 years?
Dr. Bob: There have been two really big changes during my tenure here at TBCC. The first is the acquisition of a new college
campus. This really makes it feel like a true college, both for the staff and especially for students. The second is the incipient
independent accreditation of TBCC as a stand alone institution, apart from PCC. This is very exciting and will allow our college
to really tailor programs to the needs of our community.
TBCC: What if anything has remained the same?
Dr. Bob: There have been some ups and downs for TBCC staff and faculty in the not too distant past. Despite this, a constant
thread persists to today. That thread is the dedication to quality and to service to our community by the faculty and staff. TBCC
has always attracted individuals with a "basic instinct" toward doing that "extra bit" to help our students and community
members.
TBCC: Where do you see TBCC in the next 30 years?
Dr. Bob: My hope for the future is that our college continues to develop into all that it can be. I would like to see us add
additional core faculty across all disciplines and to develop signature programs that are unique to TBCC and serve to showcase
Tillamook county for the wonderful place that we know it to be. It seems (for some of us) as though it has taken a long time to
get to where we are now. Nonetheless, TBCC appears to be at a turning point for the better in its history. I am excited to be at
the college at this period in its history, and I am excited for the future.
TBCC: What do you feel are the greatest things about TBCC?
Dr. Bob: There are two qualities of TBCC that were attractive to me when I first became associated with the college and which
are still present today. The first is the staff. Throughout my entire time at this, the smallest community college in Oregon, the
people who comprise the college staff have always been "top notch," not only in their abilities but also in their compassion,
humanity, and belief in the mission of the college. The second quality, very much related to the first, is that at this institution,
more so than others with which I have been associated, the staff and faculty really believe in the positive influence that this
college can and does have on the lives of those who become involved with it. It is more than just a mission statement on a piece
of paper; folks here really take it to heart and go out of their way to ensure the success of students. This creates a culture of
service in the organization which makes it both a pleasure and a privilege to be a part of. It has been what has kept me here over
the years despite opportunities to go elsewhere.
TBCC: Do you have any other comments you would like to share?
Dr. Bob: Having been at TBCC for as long as I have, I have been involved, first hand, with the ebbs and flows of the college.
TBCC has always been the most diminutive community college in terms of structures and stature. Yet it has never been so in
terms of quality. Many of us have long dreamed of being more closely tied to our community. Now, at last, those dreams are on
the cusp of coming true. I believe that the coming years will be exciting times both for the college and for our community as we
find new ways to partner together.
Thank you Dr. Bob for helping all those students over the past 24 years!
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