My friends, my friends. Where hath thou gone? As you know, without your news, there will not be a column. I gotta have something to put in it. PLEASE.
University of Maine marine science researcher, Bob Steneck G, has been elected to the Academy of Arts and Sciences. How big a deal is that, you may ask. Well, I have some answers.
Bob is the first UMaine faculty researcher to be so honored. The Academy to which he was named was founded in 1780 to celebrate outstanding achievement in a variety of disciplines; some of its founding members included John Adams, Samuel Adams, James Bowdoin, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine. In 1781, one of its first honorees was George Washington. It is an honorary society and independent research center, the mission of which is to “advance the interest, honor, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people.
Bob said he was shocked he had been elected. He also stated that he is excited to collaborate with members of America’s art and scientific fields. Many of his former students have gone on to become leaders within marine research and fisheries communities, including the commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, Carl Wilson ’99G. The commissioner stated that Bob has been one of the most influential people in his career, instilling in him the importance of being curious, of questioning, and of being curious to new ideas.
Bob worked closely with fishermen in order to do focused research in support of the industry and its harvesters. Said UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy, “The honor is a testament to the lasting benefits of Bob’s legacy.” Those benefits include changing our understanding of Maine’s most lucrative fishery, establishing relationships with fishermen and the coastal communities, and helping to preserve vital ecosystems across the Western hemisphere.
As an aside, some of the people who were recognized with Bob are George Clooney, CNN reporter Anderson Cooper, filmmaker Ava DuVernay, and activist Gloria Steinem. August company indeed. Congratulations, Bob, on this well-deserved and high honor.