Interview of James W. Collinson by Kevlin Haire

• Main Author: Collinson, James W.
• Other Authors: Haire, Kevlin C.
• Format: Audio
• Language: English
• Published: Ohio State University Archives 2023
• Subjects: Collinson; James W. > Interviews; Ohio State University > History > Sources; Argentina; Augustana; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1811/102541

Remote interview. Having known he wanted to study geology from a young age, James Collinson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology in 1960 from Augustana College, then earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University six years later. He joined the Department of Geology at Ohio State in September 1966 after finishing his doctoral thesis that summer. In 1969 Collinson began traveling regularly to Antarctica to conduct research, and he describes living and field-work conditions there during those early days. On his second research trip he discovered a fossil skeleton of a Thrinaxodon, an extinct type of reptile, which was a rare find at the time. Collinson later combined his research from Antarctica with what he conducted in Tasmania to study continental drift. In addition to his research, Collinson taught a variety of courses, including field geology in Utah and the Bahamas. Collinson also served as Associate Dean of the College of Mathematics and Physical Sciences and as chairman of the Department of Geology. In 1995 Collinson retired. He continued to conduct research until 2010, and he has served since then as a lecturer on cruises to Antarctica, Argentina and Chile.