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Tim was a great scientist and an amazing person. As an ecologist, he excelled at integrating his creativity and analytical skills into comprehensive efforts. He was great at conceptualizing what needed to be done, then teaming up with others with complementary strengths to produce not only great science, but science with results or tools that could be immediately applied to resource management. 

Tim was most widely known for his work on aquatic invasive species. However, his 30+ year career spanned efforts to inform the management of threatened salmon, white sturgeon, and native mussels and to assess contaminant levels in Columbia River salmon with the goal of protecting Native Americans and others who harvest these fish for food.  

As a colleague, Tim balanced independence with collaboration. He was both headstrong and curious; to-the-point and patient; and focused and warm. At the Center, he was a freethinker who defined a unique workspace: using modeling and quantitative analyses to perform risk assessments, predict ecological change, and analyze and guide long-term monitoring strategies.  Outwardly, he collaborated heavily with scientists and managers across many communities, most notably among those focused on addressing the spread of invasive species like quagga and zebra mussels west of the Mississippi River, northern pike in the Columbia River Basin, and European green crab along the Pacific coast. He also mentored students and advised multiple groups on experimental design and monitoring best practices. 

I will personally miss my conversations with Tim. He would pick up whenever I reached out, listened as I rambled, and provided thoughtful input. I always came away from our conversations feeling better about whatever we were working on.  

Tim’s leaves us a great legacy that we will do our best to carry. It will take strong shoulders. 

We miss you, Tim. 

Michael Schmidt

Center Director

USGS Western Fisheries Research Center