A letter from the Director, July 2012

This special-edition newsletter celebrates a key member of our amazing staff — Judy Scotchmoor, an assistant director of UCMP and the heart and soul of our education and outreach programs. The opportunity to work with Judy was one of my top reasons for moving to UCMP, and she has made my transition from the icy northeast a particularly rewarding one. However, when I accepted the position of director, I knew that my time with Judy would be limited. And so it is. Judy has decided to begin her well-deserved retirement, and we have been preparing for the transition. Since no one can quite fill Judy's shoes, UCMP's outreach must begin to grow in new directions. In fact, we are in the closing phases of identifying an outstanding successor. I am pleased to announce that Judy will be staying on part time for a year to help with the transition. As sad as we are to contemplate a post-Judy UCMP, we are very excited about the next phase of excellence in UCMP's education and outreach programs.

In this newsletter, we hope to communicate the depth and breadth of Judy contributions, as well as our appreciation for them. Of course, we can note her extensive achievements, but it is more illuminating to focus on the wellspring of these accomplishments. Although Watson and Crick are synonymous with the discovery of the structure of DNA, this advance was all but inevitable by the time they came along. Among the celebrated, only a few changed the world on the weight of their personalities alone. In paleontology, Steven J. Gould might have been one of those people. In science education, Judy Scotchmoor certainly is. Her passion for paleontology and teaching and her singular ability to bring those passions to concrete fruition have transformed UCMP's education and outreach programs and influenced countless others along the way. So, if you would all please stand — Judy, we raise our glasses in your honor!

Sincerely,
Charles Marshall
Director, UCMP
 

Photo by Jennifer Skene