Stony Brook University President Shirley Strum Kenny (right) applauds for honorary degree awardee Dr. Charles Wurster (left).
At the 2009 Doctoral Graduation and Hooding Ceremony, SoMAS Emeritus Professor Charles Wurster received an honorary degree from Stony Brook University.
Dr. Wurster, one of the founders on the Environmental Defense Fund, is a professor emeritus of SoMAS and was a professor of environmental sciences at the Marine Sciences Research Center for thirty years. He conducted seminal research on the effects of DDT and other pesticides on the marine environment.
In his remarks, Dr. Wurster spoke about his work as an environmental activist. In 1965, when researchers established a link between the weakening of the egg shells of ospreys and the spraying of DDT on marshes in order to kill mosquitoes, Dr. Wurster and other scientists filed a lawsuit against Suffolk County to ban the practice. DDT was never again used on Long Island and the group’s efforts ultimately led to a nationwide ban on DDT.
The fledgling Environmental Defense Fund was among the first to use the tactic of suing on behalf of the environment. They established what Dr. Wurster calls the “vital right” of citizens and groups to be able to sue government agencies.
Dr. Wurster warned the 2009 graduates that the DDT problem to which he devoted his efforts is today dwarfed by the problem of climate change. He counseled the graduates to think of how their work might shape the legacy that is left to future generations. “It is important to not buy into the prevailing attitude that today is more important than tomorrow,” he said.
“My second career [as an environmental activist] was parallel to my conventional career and came with its own significant rewards,” said Dr. Wurster. He offered this advice to the 2009 graduates: “Seek work you love. Don’t settle for money, mansions, or yachts if it means always saying ‘Thank God it’s Friday!'”
After the ceremony, SoMAS hosted a reception to honor Dr. Wurster. From left to right: Anthony Graves, Marie Gladwish, Charles Wurster, Carl Safina, Eric Wurster, New York State Assemblyman Steven Englebright
