He returned home and attended Columbia Basin College. While at CBC, he met Sigrid, his wife. Jon said, while laughing loudly, "She fed me Josephine's and classical music and I was hooked." Thus began what is almost 40 years of collaboration on research, gardening, and fiber arts. Jon went to Oregon State University to complete an Honors B.Sc. in Biology. He then returned to Pullman to study for a M.Sc. in Entomology.

He has spent much of his career teaching at a small, liberal arts, college in the remote and picturesque town of Nelson, British Columbia. Over the years the college changed its name and its academic focus. When Jon Started teaching the school was called Notre Dame University -- no, not the one of football fame. Later, the name of the college changed to David Thompson University Centre and later still it became part of Selkirk College. He came to Pullman a decade ago to work for a year in the Entomology Museum. After returning to BC, he did consulting work on biodiversity research for the five years previous to returning, again, to Pullman.

Jon has been a dedicated lepidopterist since the seventh grade when he started his butterfly collection. In addition to butterfly and moth specimens he collects rare books on Lepidoptera. He is co-authoring a book that will soon be published by the University of British Columbia Press, entitled "The Butterflies of British Columbia and adjacent areas". The adjacent areas includes all of Washington State and north Idaho.

Jon likes working at the Owen Circulation Desk because he likes talking with people and he likes the nit picking of activities such as shelf reading. Lastly, Jon wanted to emphasize that during the course of his teaching career he was a strong supporter of the library.

-Joel Cummings