Jean Andrews
-Marine scientist and artist
Leonardo da Vinci, the artist - or was he a scientist? - was the greatest genius who ever lived. His insatiable curiosity, persistence, willingness to learn from mistakes - his continual refinement of the senses, especially sight - his willingness to embrace uncertainty - his recognition of the interconnectedness of all things - these make for the balance between art and science, logic and imagination, or "whole-brain" thinking.
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I did not attend the graduation ceremony for my B.S., a marriage ceremony seemed more important. During the 25 years of that marriage with 21 different residences, I was not permitted a career but found satisfaction rearing my children while reestablishing my interest in the visual arts and taking courses in the marine sciences because I had fallen in love with the seashells of the Texas coast where we lived. Collecting and cataloging seashells and the study of painting in all media became my reason d'etre. I exhibited widely, had an agent, and sold most of what I painted.
After my children were no longer at home I returned to UT to study art in order to get the 24 hours of university credit necessary to teach a subject in a secondary school in Texas. I also commuted 40 miles to that hometown college I had scorned to obtain a Masters Degree so that I could write a thesis thereby learning how to put my research together. When that marriage ended, I began teaching art in a secondary school.
While continuing to teach, I put my shell book together. It was published by UT Press in 1971 under my maiden name. But my life needed a challenge, so in 1973, at age 50, I determined to get a Ph.D. in art and became a rare bird of that day—a mature woman starting graduate school. UT did not have a Ph.D. in art so I went to the University of North Texas because I could not afford to go out of state.
It was there I discovered not only the philosophers Whitehead, Kubler, and Korzybski, but also—I discovered myself. In three years I did 90 hours with a 4-plus G.P.A., revised the shell book, completed a biological survey for the U.S. Department of the Interior, taught a malacology seminar at a marine science institute in the Virgin Islands during a spring break, was a TA, and completed my dissertation, besides having a string of little old gentlemen friends for relaxation. In 1976 I attended that graduation ceremony.
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University of Texas at Austin, College of Natural Sciences
Austin, TX
2003
Sent in by: admin
Posted on: 03.21.2006