Where Are They Now?
Have you ever wondered what your favorite retired faculty and staff members are up
to these days? Now you can read up on how the people who formed your life at McKendree
are doing in our “Where Are They Now?” feature! In this edition, we caught up with
Dr. Ted Anderson, retired professor of biology, to see what he has been up to lately!
Dr. Ted Anderson:
Emeritus Professor of Biology (2004)
Previous students of Ted’s more than likely remember the dynamic biology courses that
this professor taught at McKendree, including General Biology, General Zoology, Ornithology
and more. Ted has continued pursuing his love for biology, particularly in the field
of ornithology, in his retirement. In May 2005, he completed the manuscript for Biology
of the Ubiquitous House Sparrow, from Genes to Population, completing nine years of
work. His book was published by Oxford University Press in July 2006. “The house sparrow
is my favorite bird,” Ted said. “It took me around the world.” He also published his
second book, a biography of the English ornithologist and ecologist David Lack titled
The Life of David Lack, Father of Evolutionary Ecology in 2013.
His work continued in 2014 when he wrote 53 weekly articles for the Bainbridge Islander,
describing a bird species that could be observed that week in the world-famous Bloedel
Reserve. The series was called “A Year of Birding in Bloedel.” Ted has also served
as the In Memoriam editor of the American Ornithologist Society since 2016. In this
position, he has edited or written nearly 70 memorial essays for outstanding ornithologists.
Ted and his wife Carol have enjoyed traveling in recent years as well. They have been
on cruises to Alaska (including Denali), the western Caribbean, the Baltic and the
Mediterranean. They also enjoyed a great trip to China including a four-day cruise
on the Yangzi River. While the couple has retired to a wonderful home on Puget Sound
with a gorgeous 180-degree panoramic view of the Sound and the Cascade Mountains,
Ted and Carol have also spent upwards of three months in nine of the last 11 years
in Venice, Fla. “We escaped some of the worst overcast, rainy days in the Pacific
Northwest!” Ted said.
Perhaps the greatest change in Ted’s priorities since he retired in 2004 has been
his commitment to developing and maintaining the couple’s perennial flower gardens.
“With nearly an acre of land on which to garden, this requires a more intensive commitment
than our garden on Schutz Street in Lebanon did!” he said. He also built a chicken
coop and ran and raised four batches of egg laying chickens. “At 80, I have given
up chicken farming!” Ted said.
Ted still fondly remembers his time as a professor at McKendree. “Serving at McKendree
for 32 years was a wonderfully rewarding experience,” he said. “I was blessed with
the opportunity to help shape the lives of many students, some of whom I still remain
in contact with. It was also a joy and a challenge to work with many outstanding colleagues.
I believe that McKendree provides a great educational opportunity for many students.
Keep that dynamic and formative environment alive!”
