TECHNOS—Richard Kissel

September 2, 2010

Richard Kissel, Paleontologist and Science Program Developer, The Field Museum, Chicago

Richard Kissel was the main scientific advisor of The Field Museum’s Evolving Planet exhibition, which took up his time from 2003–06—not to mention 27,000 square feet of floor space in the Chicago landmark natural history institution. Evolving Planet is a hugely popular exhibition that traces life on Earth from its beginnings in the Precambian era (about four billion years ago) to the present day. The exhibition and Mr. Kissel’s research is the basis of his upcoming book about the history of life on Earth, to be published next year. A paleontologist by trade, Richard is also an educator who this past July and August organized Mastodon Camp!, a two-week excavation featured as one of The Field’s Expeditions. The excavation took place at Pratt’s Wayne Woods Forest Preserve in DuPage County, Illinois, with teachers and students from the Chicago area unearthing the remains of a 12,000-year-old mastodon. Mastodon Camp! proved to be hands-on science at its best! Technos “spoke” with Mr. Kissel via email at the conclusion of the camp in August.

Technos: Congratulations on a successful summer Expedition! Please tell our readers how you found the mastodon in DuPage County, IL—and how it was decided to feature its excavation in an educational expedition?

R.K.: The mastodon remains were first discovered in August 2005, during a restoration project at Pratt’s Wayne Woods Forest Preserve. To have a team of specialists excavate, catalog, and store the remains would have been the norm, but the Museum and the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County decided to use the find as an educational tool. Reading about science—or watching documentaries on TV—is one thing, but to actually participate in a real scientific excavation is totally different. Our hope from the onset was to use the excavation as a way to enhance teachers’ knowledge of scientific methods and, for the students, encourage their interest in pursuing science as a career.

How did you choose the participants for this expedition?

We decided early on that participants should include teachers and high school students, and each participant had to apply to the program. The applications required a short essay that focused on how the excavation would benefit the applicant’s teaching or interest in science. At the end of the application process, we had 22 students and 12 teachers ready to dig in and get dirty. And with all of the rain that we had during the nights of the dig, we did get dirty!

This is really “hands-on” science, Project-Based Learning. How does it work from your standpoint as the science expert? What is the reaction from the participants?

The response from both the teachers and students was incredible; the program was an overwhelming success! And to watch the participants learn the techniques of a scientific excavation was so rewarding. Several days into the dig, the participants were properly identifying pieces of bone and tusk, mapping the pieces in their units, and removing and labeling pieces for future reference. By the end of the dig, we had a team of 34 experts!

Would you do it again next year, if given the opportunity?

I’m happy to say, we are indeed doing it again next year. Thanks to a generous gift from The Grainger Foundation, we have funding to continue the excavation during the summer of 2008.

How did you become interested in science? Did you have a teacher who spurred your interest and encouraged you? What path did you take to The Field Museum?

Well, I was one of those little kids that had a room full of dinosaur toys and posters. And my Dad was a coal miner, so he would occasionally bring home fossils of ferns and other coal-aged plants. My parents were definitely supportive of my interest, taking me once a year to see the great Dinosaur Hall at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh—and when it was time to start seriously considering a career, I figured that I would be happiest if I pursued my lifelong interest in dinosaurs and other extinct beasties.

The Evolving Planet exhibit at The Field Museum was your “baby” for three years—you were primary scientific advisor for it—are you pleased with the final result? What about the reaction from viewers?

I am very pleased with the final result. The exhibition has been praised by all—from little kids to professional scientists—and that’s a testament to the talented team that worked to produce such a successful exhibition. I truly do believe that it is the best exhibition of its kind anywhere, and I feel fortunate to have played such a central role in its creation.

You’re trained as a scientist, not as an educator, but you’re currently responsible for teaching programs on paleontology at The Field Museum. Have you found it to be an easy transition to the education field?

Science is simply the attempt to understand the natural world, and teaching that understanding to others is, in my opinion, one of the greatest things that a scientist can do. Everybody is a teacher in some capacity, whether it’s a parent teaching their child to ride a bike or a scientist demonstrating the laws of physics. Teaching is natural to all of us, so making the transition from strictly research to teaching wasn’t too difficult.

One of AIT’s Board of Directors says that one of the major problems with education today is that it is equated with “place” more than with “process.” It seems as though The Field Museum’s Expeditions address that very problem. How did your Mastodon Excavation this summer transcend place to focus on process? And, what do you think was the educational benefit achieved by all the participants?

Educational philosophies aside, the benefit of the excavation was that the participants helped us with an actual scientific excavation. The teachers and students gained firsthand exposure to not only the tools of the trade but also the techniques. There’s no better way to teach science—or anything, really—than to actually do it. For us at the Museum and Forest Preserve, to see the impact that actually doing science had on the participants was amazing.

What advice would you give young people who are interested in science, especially paleontology or archaeology, as to courses to take in school or other activities to pursue? What about college students who want to teach science?

My advice would be, first and foremost, to pursue your interests. Whether its archaeology or paleontology, schooling is obviously very important. For paleontology, exposure to both geology and biology are critical during the undergraduate years. Once graduate studies are on the horizon, students should start considering particular research interests that they have, and then scientists that they would like to work under. And for those wanting to teach science, I’ve found it useful to not only know the latest, “cutting-edge” research, but to also know the history of science. There’s no better way to understand the workings and philosophy of science than to see that philosophy operating over decades and even centuries.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your current job at The Field Museum?

The most satisfying part is that I work for The Field Museum, an institution of science and learning that has existed long before I was born, and it’ll be here long after I’m gone. To be a part of its history is really extraordinary.

You’re writing a book on the history of life on Earth—that sounds like a massive undertaking! How is it going, and when will it be published?

It’s going great! Erica Kelly, my coauthor, was one of the developers on the Evolving Planet exhibition, so having the chance to work with her again is great fun. The book will present a comprehensive review of life’s history, much like the Evolving Planet exhibition, and it will feature a great parade of prehistoric creatures, many of which aren’t featured in other books on the subject. Life’s evolution is such a great story; we’re very excited to pass that story onto readers of all ages! The book is scheduled for a Spring 2008 release.

Dr. Richard Kissel can be reached at The Field Museum of Chicago, at rkissel@fieldmuseum.org.