Top Scientist, Teacher Retires

Dr. Rebecca Morton, veterinarian and microbiologist at the Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, retires this year leaving behind a distinguished record as both scientist and educator. While her work did not unfold as she predicted, she says the ability to change led to a rewarding career.

“Often your career takes you on a different path than what you originally planned. I advise students to be very open-minded and flexible,” she says.

As an OSU veterinary student, Morton worked in the microbiology lab. “Everything was located in McElroy Hall,” she says. “The microbiology lab was merely a bench in the corner of a large laboratory on the second floor.”

When told by the professor in charge that everyone who worked in the position went on to graduate school, Morton thought, “Not me. I’m going to be a dog doctor.”

And she did return to her home state of West Virginia to practice small animal medicine after graduation — and before coming back to OSU to earn her graduate degree in microbiology.

Morton changed directions again when she completed her graduate studies and the new Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (OADDL) opened and hired her as a microbiologist. She remained at OADDL for almost 12 years honing her diagnostic skills.

Initially, Morton had no interest in teaching. “I’m shy and I don’t like getting up in front of people,” she says. But that changed when she began work on a search committee to replace 30year veteran microbiology professor Dr. Paul Barto.

“I realized I was more qualified to teach the material than the candidates who applied,” she says. “I resigned my position on the search committee, submitted my application and was hired.”

In addition to receiving numerous teaching awards during her 19-year teaching career, Morton distinguished herself as a researcher of tularemia and Francisella tularensis.

One of her most recent projects is a collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine to determine why an attenuated strain of Francisella tularensis used as a vaccine does not cause disease. Another is a collaboration with Drs. William Barrow and Ken

Clinkenbeard under contract with the National Institutes of Health to develop and perform antimicrobial assays for a panel of bacteria that may cause severe disease in both humans and animals.

Since 2000 Morton has traveled and interacted with scientists from many countries to review proposals from former Soviet Union researchers for the National Academy of Science Committee. “It’s very rewarding,” she says.

But Morton hopes to be remembered as a teacher.

“The biggest surprise about teaching is the interaction with the students and how much I enjoy it. It makes my day when a student comes up or calls to thank me for the role I played in his or her career.”