“I’ve used the ‘We’re in this together’ approach with the 27 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows I have trained over the years. For me, it is a level playing field in that my success is a direct result of their success and vice versa.”

Twenty years ago, molecular biology was an emerging field. Doug Foster was the visionary force behind the University’s first advanced workshop on the topic. Today, the course not only continues to educate industry researchers and high school teachers but also has become a recruitment vehicle for future graduate students.

A former student from Foster’s Biotechnology, People, and the Environment course, which covered three major disciplines, says, “Rather than bombarding students with countless slides, Doug focused on the how and why, allowing us to understand and draw conclusions based on facts and details.”

Foster has several “firsts”--rare among today’s researchers--in areas of molecular biology that include animal DNA, retroviruses, and reproduction. Rather than consume his energy, his accomplishments have only increased his excitement for sharing scientific discovery with students. A former colleague calls him “a literal dynamo in his passion for teaching.”

An intensive summer graduate bio-chemistry course at Lake Itasca and an annual Women in Science symposium are just two products of his innovation and commitment to training the next generation. He has also been the driving force behind securing many key local and nation-al training and education grants.

“Doug’s mentoring skills are legendary,” says a company president who, as a student, was mentored by Foster. “The most important facet of graduate education is the ability to pass scientific acumen on to one’s students. Doug certainly has done that....”

Visit the Douglas N. Foster faculty Web page here.