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University of South Florida

Environmental Sciences

Environmental Sustainability Oral Histories

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Derek Ford Oral History Interview With Dr. Philip Van Beynen, January 24, 2008, Derek Ford (Interviewee), Philip Van Beynen (Interviewer) Jan 2008

Derek Ford Oral History Interview With Dr. Philip Van Beynen, January 24, 2008, Derek Ford (Interviewee), Philip Van Beynen (Interviewer)

Environmental Sustainability Oral Histories

Dr. Derek Ford, karst science authority and author, begins the interview discussing his childhood in and around the city of Bath, England and the beginnings of his interest in rock climbing, cave diving, and cave mapping. Special attention is given to his relationship to the transition from the physiographic approach to geography to a quantitative approach. He elaborates on his friendship with eminent geomorphologist Paul Williams and how they came to write their book together. The conversation continues with an in-depth discussion of Dr. Ford's major scientific breakthroughs and notable publications with various research partners. He reflects on his career …

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Henry Schwarcz Oral History Interview With Dr. Bogdan Onac, January 22, 2008, Henry Schwarcz (Interviewee), Bogdan Onac (Interviewer) Jan 2008

Henry Schwarcz Oral History Interview With Dr. Bogdan Onac, January 22, 2008, Henry Schwarcz (Interviewee), Bogdan Onac (Interviewer)

Environmental Sustainability Oral Histories

Dr. Henry Schwarcz, karst scientist of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, begins the interview with background information about his childhood and education. He mentions how proximity to great karst scientists and a "hot bed" of research was highly influential while seeking his undergraduate and graduate level degrees. The bulk of the interview consists of Dr. Schwarcz chronologically discussing breakthroughs in various processes for determining the age of karst samples. He details the progression in the theory of dating karst and the increasingly sophisticated scientific apparatus involved in dating karstic samples. Dr. Schwarcz closes by expressing concern over what he …

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Bette And Will White Oral History Interview With Spencer Fleury And Todd Chavez, July 25, 2007, Elizabeth L. White (Interviewee), William B. White (Interviewee), Spencer Fleury (Interviewer), Todd Chavez (Interviewer) Jul 2007

Bette And Will White Oral History Interview With Spencer Fleury And Todd Chavez, July 25, 2007, Elizabeth L. White (Interviewee), William B. White (Interviewee), Spencer Fleury (Interviewer), Todd Chavez (Interviewer)

Environmental Sustainability Oral Histories

The Drs. White take turns discussing how they became interested in karst science. They reflect on the days when public opinion marginalized karst science and offer what they perceive as the historical factors which have allowed it to become established as a stand-alone scientific discipline. They then discuss students who have worked with them on various karst projects. Dr. Will White tells the story of the haunted telephone from Crystal Cave in Kentucky. The interviewees then discuss the relationship between professional karst scientists and the amateur, recreational caving community. They also discuss the future of karst science specifically with relation …

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William Halliday Oral History Interview With Spencer Fleury And Todd Chavez, July 23, 2007, William Halliday (Interviewee), Spencer Fleury (Interviewer), Todd Chavez (Interviewer) Jul 2007

William Halliday Oral History Interview With Spencer Fleury And Todd Chavez, July 23, 2007, William Halliday (Interviewee), Spencer Fleury (Interviewer), Todd Chavez (Interviewer)

Environmental Sustainability Oral Histories

Dr. William Halliday, medical surgeon and karst terrain authority, relates segments of his life story back to the development of his interest in karst and caving. Dr. Halliday recounts his involvement as a charter member of the National Speleological Society (NSS), founding several grottos, and the political activism in which he participated on their behalf. He describes a few of his international caving adventures, the difference between karst and pseudo-karst, and his impressions on whether there exists an attitudinal divide between geologists and amateur sport cavers. The interview ends with Dr. Halliday's personal belief that Mars exploration should be pivotal …

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Jeanne Gurnee Oral History Interview With Beth Fratesi And Todd Chavez, July 23, 2007, Jeanne Gurnee (Interviewee), Sarah Elizabeth (Beth) Fratesi (Interviewer), Todd Chavez (Interviewer) Jul 2007

Jeanne Gurnee Oral History Interview With Beth Fratesi And Todd Chavez, July 23, 2007, Jeanne Gurnee (Interviewee), Sarah Elizabeth (Beth) Fratesi (Interviewer), Todd Chavez (Interviewer)

Environmental Sustainability Oral Histories

Jeanne Gurnee, speleologist, explorer, writer, editor, conservationist, and land-use planner, discusses how she developed her lifelong interest in caving, how she met her husband Russell, and how they began their involvement with the National Speleological Society (NSS) as a professional pair. She gives an in-depth, chronological discussion of her professional involvement with caving groups and organizations, specifically the founding of fifty or more grottos, as well as her cave projects in Puerto Rico, Barbados, and Angola. Jeanne Gurnee speaks of her love of "show caves", their importance, her reception as an ecological lecturer, and her advice to young women beginning …

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Alexander Klimchouk Oral History Interview With Dr. Bogdan Onac, January 23, 2007, A. B. Klimchuk (Interviewee), Bogdan P. Onac (Interviewer) Jan 2007

Alexander Klimchouk Oral History Interview With Dr. Bogdan Onac, January 23, 2007, A. B. Klimchuk (Interviewee), Bogdan P. Onac (Interviewer)

Environmental Sustainability Oral Histories

Bogdan Onac, Assistant Professor, Department of Geology, at the University of South Florida, interviews Professor Alexander Klimchouk, Ph.D. The interview focuses on Dr. Klimchouk's work with the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences and the Speleological Institute in the Ukraine. Dr. Klimchouk describes how, as a young man growing up in the Soviet Union, he became interested in speleology, caving, and karst science. He continues with detailed discussions of specific caves in Ukraine; the informal society of karst scientists; and the creation of an international karst network. The interview ends with a discussion of Western Ukrainian caves.

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