Travel Talk: Yellowstone Storytelling Through Art and Science with Beaver Icons

Featuring Chris Johns, ’74, and Bill Ripple, Ph.D. ’84

Beavers are out there uncovering and sharing the stories of our world. Join the OSUAA Alumni Group Travel program on June 1 for a talk with two Beaver icons whose storytelling comes through scientific research and photography.

Former National Geographic editor-in-chief and 2020 College of Liberal Arts Alumni Fellow, Chris Johns, ’74, and Oregon State Ecology Professor Bill Ripple, Ph.D. ’84 , will bring science and art together to tell the story of Yellowstone National Park in a Travel Talk webcast.

Topics will include the history and ecological research of Yellowstone, re-introduction of wolves and conservation efforts.

Plus, get an exciting sneak peek at both of their forthcoming films: Johns’ The Wonder and the Worry and Ripple’s A Second Warning.

About the speakers:

Bill Ripple, Ph.D. ’84

Distinguished Professor of Ecology; Richardson Chair; Director, Trophic Cascades Program

Bill Ripple is a distinguished professor of ecology, best known for his research on terrestrial trophic cascades, particularly the role of the gray wolf in North America as an apex predator and a keystone species that shapes food webs and landscape structures via “top-down” pressures. Ripple heads the Trophic Cascades Program at Oregon State University, which carries out several research initiatives such as the Aspen Project, the Wolves in Nature Project and the Range Contractions Project.

Chris Johns, ’74

Renowned photojournalist and award-winning former editor-in-chief of National Geographic magazine, Johns now serves as a strategic advisor to the National Geographic Society. He is a member of the advisory board for the Oregon Stater magazine and in the upcoming year will support OSU journalism students through mentorship experiences and classroom collaborations.

Moderated by Kate Sanders

Director of Alumni Programs and Alumni Group Travel @OSU Alumni Association

Kate Sanders is the director for alumni programs and Alumni Group Travel at Oregon State University, where she is responsible for the association’s signature events and the travel program. Kate joined the alumni association in 2013 after planning presidential and university-level events at Oregon State University. Kate has a background in project management, event planning, writing and environmental education. Travel and tourism have always been part of her life, from family trips when young, to living abroad in Australia, to work and personal travel today.