Dr. Terry Wheeler had an enormous influence on my life. He
was the first to tell me about the fields of Biogeography and Systematics when
I was an undergraduate and the first professor to invite me to take a course at
the graduate level with him. (I didn’t know that was possible as an undergrad
back then.) I went on to get a Ph.D in Evolutionary Biology and I am now myself
a tenured professor studying biogeography and phylogenetic systematics. I still
have my notes from my courses with Dr. Wheeler and have never forgotten the
foundation of knowledge he helped me build – but he also transferred his
passion for the science. From him I learned of strange lands and connections
between places that seemed distant and unexplainable. I learned to sketch the
world map from memory on a chalkboard from him – and I do it for the same
reason: showmanship – the students eat it up. From Terry I learned about
Darwin, Wallace, Lamarck, Cuvier and many others; he was a great storyteller
and he made the classes interesting by making them personal. I learned that he
used an undergraduate project I did as an example in his classes while I was
still a student at McGill: I remember being absolutely floored and touched by
the honor. By chance he was presented the “McGill Teacher of the Year” honor at
my Mac graduation ceremony in which I happened to be valedictorian – he would
joke with me after that he was only at that graduation to hear my speech. He
helped me understand not just science but scientists. He continues to influence
how I teach undergraduates and graduate students of my own. I am not sure where
I would be without Terry’s influence on my life – but I would certainly not be
where I am. I am glad I got to keep in touch with him after I graduated from
McGill in 2000, it took me about twelve more years before I had the guts to
call him “Terry”: he will always the wonderful Dr. Wheeler to me. On Terry Wheeler
Dr. Terry Wheeler had an enormous influence on my life. He
was the first to tell me about the fields of Biogeography and Systematics when
I was an undergraduate and the first professor to invite me to take a course at
the graduate level with him. (I didn’t know that was possible as an undergrad
back then.) I went on to get a Ph.D in Evolutionary Biology and I am now myself
a tenured professor studying biogeography and phylogenetic systematics. I still
have my notes from my courses with Dr. Wheeler and have never forgotten the
foundation of knowledge he helped me build – but he also transferred his
passion for the science. From him I learned of strange lands and connections
between places that seemed distant and unexplainable. I learned to sketch the
world map from memory on a chalkboard from him – and I do it for the same
reason: showmanship – the students eat it up. From Terry I learned about
Darwin, Wallace, Lamarck, Cuvier and many others; he was a great storyteller
and he made the classes interesting by making them personal. I learned that he
used an undergraduate project I did as an example in his classes while I was
still a student at McGill: I remember being absolutely floored and touched by
the honor. By chance he was presented the “McGill Teacher of the Year” honor at
my Mac graduation ceremony in which I happened to be valedictorian – he would
joke with me after that he was only at that graduation to hear my speech. He
helped me understand not just science but scientists. He continues to influence
how I teach undergraduates and graduate students of my own. I am not sure where
I would be without Terry’s influence on my life – but I would certainly not be
where I am. I am glad I got to keep in touch with him after I graduated from
McGill in 2000, it took me about twelve more years before I had the guts to
call him “Terry”: he will always the wonderful Dr. Wheeler to me.