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UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FRIDAY HARBOR LABS |
11th Annual Illg Lecture July 3posted 06/16/2009
We are fortunate to have Dr. Widder as the Illg Distinguished Lecturer in 2009. Dr. Widder is a biologist and deep-sea explorer who combines expertise in oceanographic research and technological innovation with a commitment to reversing the worldwide trend of marine ecosystem degradation. Dr. Widder graduated Magna cum laude from Tufts University where she received her BS Degree in Biology and then her Masters Degree in biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Neurobiology awarded at UC Santa Barbara. Dr. Widder is a certified Scientific Research Pilot for Atmospheric Diving Systems and she has made over 250 dives in the JOHNSON-SEA-LINK submersibles. Her research involving submersibles has been featured in BBC, PBS, Discovery Channel and National Geographic television productions. A specialist in bioluminescence (the light chemically produced by many ocean organisms), she has been a leader in helping to design and invent new submersible instrumentation and equipment to enable unobtrusive deep-sea observations. Working with engineers, she has conceived of and built several unique devices that enable scientists to see the ocean in new ways, including HIDEX, a bathyphotometer which is the U.S. Navy standard for measuring bioluminescence in the ocean, and LoLAR, an ultra-sensitive deep–sea light meter. Most recently, Edie created a remotely operated camera system, known as Eye in the Sea (EITS), which, when deployed on the sea floor, automatically detects and measures the bioluminescence given off by nearby organisms. EITS has produced footage of rare sharks, jellyfish, and discovered a new species of large squid, all in their natural habitats. Edie and her unobtrusive camera system were recently featured in the Discovery Channel series Midwater Mysteries. Dr. Widder graduated Magna cum laude from Tufts University where she received her BS Degree in Biology and then her Masters Degree in biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Neurobiology awarded at UC Santa Barbara. In 2005, Dr. Widder left Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution where she worked for 16 years to co-found the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA), a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of marine ecosystems and the species they sustain through development of innovative technologies and science-based conservation action. In September of 2006, based on her work with ORCA, she was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. You can keep abreast of other events at Friday Harbor Laboratories by visiting their WEB SITE. This endowed lecture series is presented in honor of Professor Paul L. Illg, who made many important contributions as a scientist, teacher, mentor, and friend. Paul excelled as a faculty member of the UW Zoology Department from 1952 - 1982. An expert in the biology of crustaceans, he participated in many summer sessions at Friday Harbor Laboratories. He invited world-renowned scholars to FHL to join him in teaching invertebrate biology and thus greatly enhanced the quality of the graduate program and research at the Laboratories. This lectureship endowment was established through memorial gifts by Paul's family, many friends and colleagues. |
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