ERIC GRIMM'S INTERDISCIPLINARY CONTRIBUTIONS AND CAREER AT THE ILLINOIS STATE MUSEUM (Invited Presentation)

During his 28-years at the Illinois State Museum, Eric Grimm strengthened interdisciplinary research in the ISM’s Landscape History Program and across the world. His Illinois research expanded understanding of Quaternary climate and vegetation changes, including fine-scale vegetation responses to abrupt climate changes in the Late Glacial Period and synchronization with North Atlantic events. He documented the emergence of mesic forest in the early Holocene followed by drier forest and prairie expansion. Continued research with colleagues in the Great Plains and Eastern U.S. documented drought patterns on the Great Plans, rates of climate and vegetation change, and impacts of burning by humans. While at the ISM, he continually refined his Tilia software, which palynologists across the world use to record data and formed the foundation for his North American Pollen Database, the Global Pollen Database, and ultimately his co-development of the multi-proxy Neotoma Paleoecology Database. His contributions to data curation and development of multi-proxy databases are major gifts to Quaternary science.

He greatly contributed to education and public understanding of science. His enthusiasm and remarkable ability to explain complex relationships in understandable ways inspired others, drew large audiences to his ISM public programs, and increased understanding of and support for science. His climate and environmental change research greatly enriched the ISM’s natural history hall. Opened in 2004, it presents original research from the ISM’s Landscape History Program. It engages visitors in exploring the forces of environmental change and the scientific evidence for changing climates and landscapes. It and his programs have stimulated interests and careers in science. Eric instigated many memorable fieldtrips and campouts that led to lasting friendships. He was a mentor, colleague, and beloved friend to students and researchers across the world.