“Dear Dr. DeWitt: We have decided to implement your design of the hydraulic system that will regulate the levels of our aquariums,” read a letter sent to Calvin DeWitt by the director of the New York Aquarium. Unbeknownst to the aquarium, DeWitt was not a doctor, but only in his late teens at this time, and he had created this aquarium system out of his lab in his family’s basement to raise tropical fish. Today, DeWitt continues to embody this innovation as an inspirational and knowledgeable professor of environmental studies at UW-Madison.
Ryan Crawford (right), a junior pursuing a certificate in Environmental Studies, talks with Professor Calvin DeWitt (left) during his coffee hours. Ryan has been particularly motivated by the advice of Professor DeWitt’s father: “Do what you love to do, then you will do it very well, and eventually someone will pay you for it.”
DeWitt grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he started indulging his curiosity in science at a young age. As a child he created a “backyard zoo” with cages housing many species of amphibians, turtles and other reptiles. In his lab, he experimented with his Chemcraft and Gilbert chemistry sets, raised birds in his handcrafted aviary and tinkered with a variety of gadgets and motors. After majoring in biology at Calvin College in his hometown, DeWitt received a Ph.D. for research on reptilian thermoregulation in relation to ecosystem climatology as a National Science Foundation Fellow at the University of Michigan. He was a professor of biology and head of mathematics and natural sciences at the University of Michigan-Dearborn until 1972, when he became a professor at UW-Madison.
Besides teaching, one of DeWitt’s main responsibilities at UW-Madison is to form a “cross-college” experience for students, giving them a more extensive knowledge base by connecting multiple disciplines. With an interest in many types of science and engineering, DeWitt recognizes the importance of understanding how the earth is affected by the innovations designed to improve it. He promotes a series of three environmental ethics that he believes are necessary to sustain life on Earth: “Awareness, that leads to appreciation, and then to stewardship.” He says that this requires “living responsibly in the biosphere” with recognition of the needs of each organism in its many environments.
DeWitt has traveled to over a hundred colleges and universities across the globe to give lectures on this topic. In October 2009, he gave five lectures in Shandong, China and three lectures in Peking, China to college students at these cities’ main universities. This April, he traveled to New Zealand, where he encouraged students to understand the consequences of their actions on the environment.
Back in Madison, DeWitt uses his home and land on the Waubesa Wetlands to give his students in Principles of Environmental Science an understanding of wetland ecology, which encompasses many fields of science. Since moving in 1972, DeWitt has brought his environmental studies students to his home every semester, forging a personal relationship among his students, himself and the wetlands.
DeWitt says, “The thing I like about teaching at my home is that I can show how everything meshes together. You have to understand the hydrology, the soils, the plants and animals, the instrumentation for measurement, and also how these then interface with wetland functions and land use planning.”
DeWitt not only teaches his students, but guides and mentors them as well. Once their work for the day is done in the wetlands, his students come into his house to share cider, tea and banana bread, freshly baked by Mrs. DeWitt. Environmental Studies 126, DeWitt’s introductory environmental science course, acts as a stepping-stone to establishing a long-lasting rapport with each of his students. As his students progress to their final year at UW-Madison, many of them choose to enroll in his 600-level capstone course. This internship-based course allows his students to explore a specific field of interest and helps them transition between school and work.
For several decades, DeWitt has held “coffee hours” on Tuesday and Thursday from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM in Science Hall. Everyone is invited to come to drink Fair Trade coffee and to discuss the environmental studies class, as well as a variety of interests and topics with DeWitt and other students. DeWitt says that this gives students a chance to “explore new areas of interest.”
One of DeWitt’s students, Fay Augustyn, goes to his coffee hours every Tuesday. “Professor DeWitt is really captivating. He tells you stories about everything he’s done and everywhere he’s been. He encourages you to get involved.” Augustyn particularly enjoys coffee hours because there is a different dynamic every week as different people come and go, creating a unique perspective every time she visits. Although most of the attendees at his coffee hours are current students, guests have included former students, Madison locals and even the mayor of Madison.
DeWitt is a critical figure in the lives of many UW-Madison students. He utilizes his home and his ideas to promote interdisciplinary education at UW-Madison. He continues to influence and inspire, showing the value of environmental awareness. Proof of the effect on his students is the multitude of people that flow in and out of his coffee hours on a weekly basis. Friendly and engaging, DeWitt plays a crucial role in the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and in the UW-Madison community.