Interview with Sarah Ross, May 14, 2015

Partial Transcript: So, how long did you live in Columbus?

Segment Synopsis: Ross describes growing up in Gainesville, Florida surrounded by nature. She discusses becoming involved in science at a young age since her father was a pathologist. She explains how she started college at sixteen and worked in a plant pathology lab. She talks about starting an art gallery and frame shop in Savannah while she got three college degrees from Armstrong State University (where she later taught.)

Keywords: Columbus, Georgia; Georgia Southern University-Armstrong Campus; P. K. Yonge Developmental Research School; Santa Fe Community College; Scotland; The University of Florida; animals; art education; ecology; electron microscope; fine arts; master's degree; science education; small business owner; wildlife

Partial Transcript: And it was during that time as a graduate student when Larry Babits...

Segment Synopsis: Ross describes how her involvement with Wormsloe began as a graduate student when she worked on mapping Confederate batteries with archeologist Lawrence Babits. She talks about Wormsloe's transition from private property to public land under the National Heritage Trust Program. She also talks about the Supreme Court case with the Wormsloe Foundation around issues of tax status and public use.

Keywords: Georgia Nature Conservancy; Jane Yarn; Jimmy Carter; LiDar; Savannah, Georgia; Skidaway Island, Georgia; eminent domain; nonprofit; research; technology

Partial Transcript: The very first thing that Craig and Diane and I did when we started thinking about the utilization of this property...

Segment Synopsis: Ross describes her role as the Executive Director of the University of Georgia Center for Research and Education at Wormsloe. She discusses working with the University of Georgia, University System of Georgia, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to promote conservation, research, and education at Wormsloe. She explains how research at Wormsloe focuses on climate change, biodiversity, and fresh water issues specifically through the study of migrating species of wildlife.

Keywords: Georgia coast; Skidaway Institute of Oceanography; The UGA Marine Institute on Sapelo Island (UGAMI); UGA Marine Extension Service; ecology; ground water; invasive exotic species; monarch butterfly; science education; scientists

Partial Transcript: So, I want to ask you about science education.

Segment Synopsis: Ross describes teaching at the Oatland Island Education Center where she taught visiting students and cared for animals. She talks about working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) first as the educational coordinator of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary before later becoming the education coordinator of NOAA. She emphasizes her efforts to promote practical science education and community outreach.

Keywords: Marine Extension Service; Milton Gray; National Marine Sanctuaries; San Salvador Island, Bahamas; Savannah Science Museum; Skidaway Island; career; employment

Partial Transcript: So when I retired for NOAH after 12 years...

Segment Synopsis: Ross discusses her research on loggerhead sea turtles, describing how she used the appeal of sea turtles to teach students about other organisms including the invertebrates that lived on their shells. She describes capturing and placing satellite transmitters on male loggerhead sea turtles, discussing the difficulty of the process.

Keywords: Army Corps of Engineers; Blue Ridge Mountains; New England Aquarium; The Sparta Teapot Museum of Craft & Design; researcher; science education; scientist; small business owner; underwater caves; underwater dredging