Category: 2016 – Week 11

Glenn A. Bristow passed away 11 March in Viet Nam. Glenn was born in 1944 in Connecticut, USA, and had a long and adventurous career before entering the academia. He was in the USA navy between 1964 and 1970 as crew on a submarine, he worked on a fishing boat, and he was bartender in Hawaii. He took his Masters of Science in zoology in 1983, and came to Norway and the University of Bergen around 1985. In 1991 he defended his Dr scient thesis in parasitology and became Associate Professor in 1992, where he always worked closely together with Professor (now Emeritus) Bjørn Berland. After Glenn retired he never hesitated and eagerly started afresh to work at the University of Nha Trang, Viet Nam. Here he stayed and worked as a highly valued teacher until illness struck last year.

Glenn’s main research interest was the systematics and development of parasites, especially fish parasites. However, he felt free to explore interests in any direction, and was also very interested in philosophy of science: in 1997 he edited a book together with Roger Strand (University of Bergen) called “Naturvitere filosoferer”. The many interests he had are quite visible on Facebook, with links to friends and collaborators all over the world.

Nonetheless, the sea always drew him back. He was in Bergen when the Norwegian fish farming adventure started up, and he saw the importance of considering the impact of the parasites that always accompany intensification in animal production. In the years before and after he retired Glenn engaged himself much in international work and collaboration, with research and teaching at universities in Malaysia and Viet Nam. Glenn saw the parallels in the national importance of aquaculture to both Norway and Viet Nam. He therefore put a lot of effort in ensuring that some of the ideas underpinning industrialized sustainable aquaculture could be transferred from Norway to Viet Nam. He also helped to establish a strong scientific connection between the University of Bergen and the University of Nha Trang, Viet Nam, with exchange of students and staff.

He had many interests and in particular he liked music, food, other cultures and the sea. He was impossible to ignore while alive, and the best of him will live on for a long time. He had two children whom he was very proud of and who live in Bergen, and our thoughts go to them.

For kollegaer ved Institutt for biologi,

Henrik Glenner, Kjersti Sjøtun, Hans Tore Rapp, Karin Pittman, Egil Karlsbakk

Click here to fill out registration for BIO’s strategy seminar April 14th