Name: Todd Z. Osborne
Time connected to the CFW: 1997-2005
Current position: Associate Professor, University of Florida, Whitney Laboratory for Marine Biosciences
What is your favorite memory from the CFW?
The excitement and reverence in the building when H.T. would roam the halls — he was more or less retired by then but was still academically active and would drop in fairly regularly. I had met his brother Eugene at UGA while an undergrad and thought it so interesting that these two brothers and eminent ecologists has such profound effect on the science of wetlands and on the study of ecology as a whole. Great times at the Center. I also remember the student energy — my cohort in 1997 was pretty large (20+ students) that were all great friends and worked together. Mark Clark, Mark Otto, Matt Cohen, BJ Bukata and a few others were the glue that held that group together and made it feel more like family! All of those guys are still good friends! The friendships and relationships forged at the CFW were long-lasting and have proven to be some of the most valuable and cherished that I have.
Why is the CFW important to you?
HT Odum’s legacy is one big issue, but as a home for students that by definition worked on the fringe of the environment where few people wanted to go (swamps, marshes) was a special kind of environment where very interesting people came together with common passion for the world of wetlands.