Quarterdeck 3.1
Department News

Scenes from a farewell celebration

[26K] Fryxell with one of her first graduate students, Dr. Linda Medlin. (Photo by Rahilla C.A. Shatto)

[43K] Fryxell receives a crystal award from the biological oceanography section. (Photo by Donald P. Shatto)

[43K] Sayed El-Sayed delivers a tribute to Fryxell's productive career. (Photo by Donald P. Shatto)

[34K] Dean Robert Duce congratulates Fryxell. (Photo by Donald P. Shatto)

In the fall of 1994, Dr. Greta Fryxell retired from TAMU's oceanography department after an illustrious fourteen-year career. In January 1995 the department held a farewell dinner in her honor, attended by Dr. Fryxell's closest colleagues and her students.

The defining characteristic of Dr. Fryxell's accomplishments in oceanography is the dedication and support she has devoted to her students. To demonstrate this Celia Villac read aloud some messages from Fryxell's former students which superbly express the breadth and depth of her involvement with students and biological oceanography:

"She was very helpful to me when I first came to A&M as a foreign student. She offered me an office space before I got to know anybody in the building. She bravely [lent] her car to me, so that everybody in the lab could take turns to teach me to how to drive."
-Chieh Peng, M.S. 1990

"While there are volumes to be told of our relationship, first as mentor and student, and now as colleagues, my association with Greta can best be described as always exciting and ultimately rewarding both professionally and personally. As a mentor, she conveyed by example the importance of critical thinking and insight, as well as what it means not only to be a dedicated scientist but to sincerely enjoy science and the rewards that come from even the simplest discoveries. As a colleague, Greta's generous sharing of her resources has stimulated progress in our field on numerous fronts, and she continues to challenge both herself and those around her to explore new ideas and directions in our work."
-Greg Doucett, M.S. 1982

"The rigorous training in phytoplankton systematics has served me well over the years, and instilled in me a deep respect for scholarship and the contributions of past scientists. In addition, [Greta] allowed me to witness the spectrum of activities that is science in this country, including grant writing, lab administration, networking and politics."
-Tracy Villareal, M.S. 1981

"It has been a privilege for me to be one of her students. All the experience that I gained from her will be of great value during my career as a teacher and researcher in my country [Chile]." -Jose Luis Iriarte, M.S. 1994

"Greta Fryxell is a dedicated instructor and a thoughtful friend. What always impressed me about Greta, and I will always appreciate, is the sincere consideration and interest she shows her students. I was always treated as a colleague with opinions and ideas of value rather than as a subordinate graduate student. Greta's desire to teach and "spread the word" about phytoplankton was evident every day-she always had the time to assist and was never too busy to approach with questions. She is a true mentor in every sense of the word."
-Rick Gould, Ph.D. 1987

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Oceanography, Texas A&M University

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URL=http://oceanography.tamu.edu/Quarterdeck/QD3.1/Fryxell/fryxell.html
Updated May 23, 1996