7
New York. Tellingly, though, Art still approaches these applied projects with the
eye (ear?) of a comparative biologist, as these studies compare the effects of noise
trauma on different fi shes that occupy diverse phylogenetic positions and possess
different hearing sensitivities (e.g., Mann et al. 2007 ; Casper et al. 2013 ).
Research takes funding, of course, and Art is a shining example of funding
success. Art has received continuous grant funding since 1972, including grants
from the Offi ce of Naval Research (ONR), the National Science Foundation (NSF),
and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). When we approached the ONR with a
conference grant proposal to help fund Art and Dick’s Festschrift (celebration of
their careers), the program offi cer told us that if Art would quit submitting (and
receiving!) research proposals and instead actually retire, the ONR might have some
money left to help fund the retirement celebration.
Art is a researcher, a teacher, and a mentor, and he takes all three roles very seriously. He’s taught courses ranging from introductory freshman biology to graduate
seminars on research ethics, and mentored or co-mentored 8 Master’s students, 18
PhD students, and 18 postdocs, many of whom are featured as authors in this volume. Art has won awards recognizing his scholarly contributions (Outstanding
Faculty Research Award, College of Life Sciences, University of Maryland), his
excellence in teaching (Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Award, University of
Maryland), and his commitment to mentoring (University System of Maryland
Regent’s Faculty Award for Mentoring). Other notable accomplishments include his
election as a Fellow to the American Association for the Advancement of Science
(AAAS) in 1983 and as an Acoustical Society of America Fellow in 1994. In 2012
Science Magazine published a delightful News Focus about Art and his lifetime of
research, calling him the “godfather of fi sh bioacoustics” (Lee 2012 ).
One of Art’s joys is bringing together scientists with diverse backgrounds and
perspectives for focused research conferences. His recent interest in the impact of
anthropogenic sound on aquatic life represents the perfect opportunity since basic
researchers, policy-makers, and industry representatives all have acute interest in
this issue but often want different information, or might use the same data for different purposes. He and his close friend and collaborator Dr. Tony Hawkins have organized a series of meetings with this exact purpose in mind, the International
Conferences on the Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life. Planning these meetings also
affords Art and his wife Helen the opportunity to travel, as the meetings are always
in interesting locations (Cork, Ireland in 2010, Budapest, Hungary in 2013) and Art
insists on personally surveying each meeting location to make sure it meets his
standards. Even in his retirement he continues to organize these meetings, allowing
him to combine his passion for research with his love of travel.
In addition to his contributions in research, teaching, and mentoring, Art has held
many administrative positions. Art served on the Faculty Senate at both Georgetown
University and the University of Maryland, including Chairing the University
Senate at the University of Maryland. He was the Chair of the Biology Department
at the University of Maryland and a Director of their Neuroscience and Cognitive
Sciences (NACS) graduate program. He, along with his colleague and close friend
Dr. Robert Dooling, founded and directed the Center for Comparative and
Fishy Hearing: A Short Biography of Arthur N. Popper, PhD
New York. Tellingly, though, Art still approaches these applied projects with the
eye (ear?) of a comparative biologist, as these studies compare the effects of noise
trauma on different fi shes that occupy diverse phylogenetic positions and possess
different hearing sensitivities (e.g., Mann et al. 2007 ; Casper et al. 2013 ).
Research takes funding, of course, and Art is a shining example of funding
success. Art has received continuous grant funding since 1972, including grants
from the Offi ce of Naval Research (ONR), the National Science Foundation (NSF),
and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). When we approached the ONR with a
conference grant proposal to help fund Art and Dick’s Festschrift (celebration of
their careers), the program offi cer told us that if Art would quit submitting (and
receiving!) research proposals and instead actually retire, the ONR might have some
money left to help fund the retirement celebration.
Art is a researcher, a teacher, and a mentor, and he takes all three roles very seriously. He’s taught courses ranging from introductory freshman biology to graduate
seminars on research ethics, and mentored or co-mentored 8 Master’s students, 18
PhD students, and 18 postdocs, many of whom are featured as authors in this volume. Art has won awards recognizing his scholarly contributions (Outstanding
Faculty Research Award, College of Life Sciences, University of Maryland), his
excellence in teaching (Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Award, University of
Maryland), and his commitment to mentoring (University System of Maryland
Regent’s Faculty Award for Mentoring). Other notable accomplishments include his
election as a Fellow to the American Association for the Advancement of Science
(AAAS) in 1983 and as an Acoustical Society of America Fellow in 1994. In 2012
Science Magazine published a delightful News Focus about Art and his lifetime of
research, calling him the “godfather of fi sh bioacoustics” (Lee 2012 ).
One of Art’s joys is bringing together scientists with diverse backgrounds and
perspectives for focused research conferences. His recent interest in the impact of
anthropogenic sound on aquatic life represents the perfect opportunity since basic
researchers, policy-makers, and industry representatives all have acute interest in
this issue but often want different information, or might use the same data for different purposes. He and his close friend and collaborator Dr. Tony Hawkins have organized a series of meetings with this exact purpose in mind, the International
Conferences on the Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life. Planning these meetings also
affords Art and his wife Helen the opportunity to travel, as the meetings are always
in interesting locations (Cork, Ireland in 2010, Budapest, Hungary in 2013) and Art
insists on personally surveying each meeting location to make sure it meets his
standards. Even in his retirement he continues to organize these meetings, allowing
him to combine his passion for research with his love of travel.
In addition to his contributions in research, teaching, and mentoring, Art has held
many administrative positions. Art served on the Faculty Senate at both Georgetown
University and the University of Maryland, including Chairing the University
Senate at the University of Maryland. He was the Chair of the Biology Department
at the University of Maryland and a Director of their Neuroscience and Cognitive
Sciences (NACS) graduate program. He, along with his colleague and close friend
Dr. Robert Dooling, founded and directed the Center for Comparative and
Fishy Hearing: A Short Biography of Arthur N. Popper, PhD