Oceanography Memoir

John Byrne. | Photo from Hatfield Marine Science Center

John Byrne – geologist, oceanographer, former head of NOAA, and president emeritus of Oregon State University – will give a presentation based on his new memoir, Undercurrents: From Oceanographer to University President.  His talk takes place Friday, May 4, 5:30 p.m. in the Hennings Auditorium in the visitor center of the Hatfield Marine Science Center (2030 S.E. Marine Science Dr.) in the South Beach area of Newport.  The event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Byrne began his career as a geologist at an oil company and retired as president of a major land grant university. He came to OSU in 1960 as a faculty member, later becoming department chair, dean, director of the Hatfield Marine Science Center, and vice-president for Research and Graduate Studies. Along the way, he took leave from the university to serve the U.S. government, first as a program director for oceanography at the National Science Foundation, and later as the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, before returning to OSU in 1984 as its twelfth president.