Upon Retirement, Paulette Bierzychudek Looks Back at Three Decades

William Swindells, Sr., Professor of Natural Sciences Paulette BierzychudekAfter 30 years, William Swindells, Sr., Professor of Natural Sciences Paulette Bierzychudek has retired from teaching biology and environmental studies at Lewis & Clark. A celebration held in her honor at the end of the spring semester gathered scores of colleagues—and included students Bierzychudek hadn’t seen in three decades.

“I’ve never felt so loved in my life,” Bierzychudek said. “We have an exceptionally wonderfully close knit department.”

As a special surprise for Bierzychudek, several faculty members created and sang a spoof song to the tune of “Closer to Fine,” by The Indigo Girls. With sheet music in hand, the room full of dear friends, faculty, staff, and students belted out their adoration for Bierzychudek:

Verse 1:

I’m trying to tell you something ’bout Paulette,

A better friend and colleague you can’t get –

She’s the best thing that’s ever come to us

Helped us build our sense of worth and trust

LC’s our life after all, yeah

Verse 2:

Well, students have a hunger that’s insatiable

And feedback has an edge that’s hard to hear

She wraps her wisdom ‘round them like a blanket

The students leave with skills so they won’t tank it

She helps them open doors

Chorus:

And she went to the meadows, she went to the forests.

She looked to the larvae, She fed them some violets.

There’s more than one possible hypothesis

In life, as in ecology

And the more we trust the data as definitive

We’re closer to Dr. B, yeah

We’re closer to Dr. B, yeah

Verse 3:

And we went to see the clerk of the faculty

With Roberts Rules of Order for process clarity

We never did read it, or ever learn to do it

She graded our performance, says we can muddle through it

We spent 31 years guided by her leadership

Who’ll call the question now?

Chorus:

And she went to the meadows, she went to the forests

She looked to the larvae, She fed them some violets

There’s more than one possible hypothesis

In life, as in ecology

And the more we trust the data as definitive

(The more we trust the data)

We’re closer to Dr. B, yeah

We’re closer to Dr. B, yeah

Verse 4:

She changed our curriculum again

She served on all committees, and always was a friend.

She gave us advice, she was optimistic,

She proofread our reports and checked our statistics

She spent decades supporting all the campus,

Now she’s retiring and she’s FREE, yeah

Final Chorus (LONG VERSION):

And she went to the meadows, she went to the forests

She looked to the larvae, She fed them some violets

Now she’ll go to the mountains, she’ll fill life with laughter,

She’ll actually see Gary, and live HAPPILY EVER AFTER!

There’s more than one way to live life beautifully

Paulette will do it well!

And the more we follow Paulette’s example,

We’re closer to Dr. B, yeah

We’re closer to Dr. B, yeah

In the following Q&A, Bierzychudek looks back at her full career and shares her future plans:

Paulette Bierzychudek and Gary ReinessWhat was your path to Lewis & Clark?

LC was not my first job. I began my teaching career at Pomona, one of the Claremont colleges. I had worked my way through the ranks and was a full professor when LC advertised for a senior professor job. I had gone to college at the University of Washington and loved the Pacific Northwest. Pomona was very set in its ways and didn’t change things readily. Lewis & Clark was in a growth phase: creating new programs and hiring new faculty—and it was clear in 1994 that this was a place that puts an emphasis on innovation. I was lucky enough to get the LC job, and found out there was a plan to hire a second faculty member. [My husband] Gary Reiness was also at Pomona so they convinced the college to bring in both of us!

What was your favorite course(s) to teach?

Whichever one I was teaching at the moment! My specialties are ecology and evolution, but also I spent time teaching our introductory course for majors—and have taught everything from first-year students to seniors.

What did you enjoy most about your work?

Two things:

1. Having had colleagues who are so dedicated, so inspirational, such good scientists, such wonderful warm human beings. I’t s rare to find a department where everyone gets along very well.
2. The students. We continue to bring class after class of students who are engaged. Throughout my entire 30 years here, the students are uniformly the reason to get out of bed.

What’s something people might not know about you?

I went to a catholic all girls school and I’m a first generation student.

What is your favorite place on campus?

There’s a couple! The forest is my happy place. Also, Lewis & Clark’s Community Chorale! The choir includes students, faculty, staff, and alumni from all three schools.

What are you most proud of?

My students. I’m so proud of the people they’ve become and the way they maintain their energy and optimism.

What’s next for you?

I knew I was ready to stop teaching, but not because I had some big other things to do. Leaving LC and my colleagues is very bittersweet for me. They have been my family: supportive, warm, generous, and dedicated. I have volunteered to serve as a student advisor and Gary and I will guide the San Juan Island Sail this summer. And of course I will spend more time outdoors. I have a big garden which I will continue to cultivate, and I hope to buy a cabin in the woods. I also want to take piano lessons. I think it will help me become a better singer!