Quinton White is the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Jacksonville University. A member of the Manatee Technical Advisory Council for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, his extensive research on the St. Johns River has made him one of the most knowledgeable experts on the impact of man on the marine ecosystem.
BEFORE JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY
“I finished my Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina in 1976 and joined the faculty at JU that fall. I came thinking I would be here for two years as a visiting professor. That was 27 years ago.”
WHY EDUCATION?
“I started college thinking I wanted to go to medical school, but I was asked to teach biology laboratories and discovered I really enjoyed teaching. When I graduated from college, I anticipated being drafted, so I enlisted in the Army. I applied to graduate school while still in Vietnam and was accepted to the University of Virginia. I completed my master’s degree and then went to the University of South Carolina for my Ph.D. I was teaching throughout graduate school and that just reinforced my decision to go into teaching and research at a university.”
WHY THE ST. JOHNS?
“I could write a book, and maybe one day I will. The St. Johns is such a unique river, so full of questions and such an interesting place. So many things come together in an estuarine system like the St. Johns River. It is a beautiful body of water. At places it is like a lake, at places it is like a river and at places it is like an estuary. Combine that with our closeness to the beach and you have a near perfect environment for a marine biologist. The river is one reason I came here in 1976 and have stayed.”
CAN MANATEES AND BOATS GET ALONG?
“I think so. No one wants to hurt a manatee or cause harm to the species. But, like all issues, there are several sides with strong opinions. Hopefully, by presenting good science and listening to everyone’s concerns, we can find a workable solution.”
HOW GREAT AN IMPACT DOES AN ADMINISTRATOR HAVE ON STUDENTS?
“Tremendous. I see it every day when I meet with students who have problems. I see myself as a problem solver and I work hard to find ways to accommodate the various needs of the students and faculty. I have also been able to continue to teach, including the “Introduction to Marine Science” class last fall and a special topics course this spring that included a field trip to Costa Rica. I won’t teach next fall, but I will take a group to Costa Rica next spring and hopefully the Galapagos Islands next summer.
WHY EDUCATION RATHER THAN THE PRIVATE SECTOR?
“I love to teach, and while both commercial and governmental interests have offered me positions, I never thought that the situation was right for me. Jacksonville and Jacksonville University have been very good to me.”
FANTASY JOB
“I would love to be an underwater and nature photographer for National Geographic.”
FIRST JOB
“I worked for my dad’s company as a teenager on Saturdays and summers. He had an appliance sales and service business. I learned how to repair appliances, which has come in handy a few times. I then worked for Ford Motor Co. on their assembly line at the Norfolk, Va., plant for several summers. That was hard work and convinced me I wanted an education. I enjoyed the men I worked with, but every one of them kept telling me to stay in school.”
PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENTS
National Marine Education Association (former treasurer) and the Southeastern Estuarine Research Society (former secretary-treasurer). Locally, Museum of Science and History Board of Trustees (former president), Tree Hill Nature Center Board (former president), Planned Parenthood of Northeast Florida Board (president), Lee and Mimi Adams Environmental Advisory Board (former chair), Leadership Jacksonville (Class of 1988, former president of board), Boys Home Association board (current treasurer), Arlington Kiwanis Club (former president) and was an American Council of Education Fellow in 1997-98 at Elon College.
WHERE HE LIVES
Mandarin, but he recently purchased a house in San Jose. “We picked the area for its schools and to be near my wife’s office.”
GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT
“I have three wonderful children and too many students to count. I have always felt that a teacher affects eternity; we live on through our students and their accomplishments.”