| Professor
Ron Rutowski talks about his career path that brought him to biology while
still keeping music in his life.
There is not a single path for becoming a biologist. In the case of
Professor Rutowski, his first real interest in biology was a report he
did in sixth grade. That report was on Medelian genetics. Later his
interests shifted away from the lab oriented work that Medel had done
and into more field-oriented biology that included natural history and
especially birds. “I love being outdoors and spent a lot of time hiking
about in the Santa Monica Mountains and the beach in West Los Angles.”
 His early interests in grade school and high school lead him to study
animal signals and communication when he attended college. For a senior
thesis he wrote about vocalization of coots, which are type of water fowl.
It is also where he began to really think about a career in biology and
becoming a university professor. “The research and teaching opportunities as
well as the creative freedom and intellectual stimulation of the university
environment struck me as a great way to live and work as a biologist.” And
so his path began to direct him towards graduate school where he expected to
study birds, but instead took a slight curve when his interest in
butterflies and how their coloration were important to their courtship and
mating.
This interest continues today at ASU, where he has been since getting his
first faculty position in the department of Zoology. He was 26 and beginning
his first position. Since then he has published papers in many scientific
journals, taught undergraduate classes, and directed the undergraduate
research programs, including the UBEP and SOLUR programs. He has also
maintain a strong musical career as a fiddle player in country western,
folk, bluegrass, jazz, and rock bands. He released a solo album titled
Violinalone in 1990. As Rutowski describes his other life in music, "It is
my evil twin." A life that his wife says he is addicted to. For him, playing
and performing is his way of keeping a balance in his life. "Being able to
go out and perform in gigs is so removed from academia that it is
refreshing."
What advice would he have for young scientists? “Always keep in mind that
what you are doing at any given time. Whether it is a school report, apply
to college, or observing the world around you, these are all a means to an
end and not an end in itself. The focus of my career path worked and
continues to work for me. But it is not the path to success or happiness for
everyone.” I guess you would say that everyone will have a slightly
different path, but if you enjoy the road you are on, it will be filled with
happiness and rewards.
So where is your path going today?
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