In Memorium: Dr. Jon Roger Sloan

Written by V. Pedone. Originally published in ARF Notes, V34 No. 3, by the Association of Retired Faculty

Jon Roger Sloan (Geological Sciences) was born July 13, 1944, and passed away November 30, 2018. Jon earned his B.A. in Biology from Cal State Northridge in 1968, the institution to which he would return as a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences in 1983. In between, he earned his Ph.D. in Ecology and Paleoecology from the University of California at Davis and conducted two post-doctoral studies at Rice University, separated by a year as a petroleum geologist analyzing data from Alaska.

Jon’s outstanding contributions during his long career at CSUN were his dedication to teaching and his love of collecting and studying microscopic marine organisms. He taught a wide range of graduate, undergraduate and General Education courses, particularly those that emphasized environmental sciences. His favorite teaching moments were taking students on field trips to collect and examine marine life from fish to microscopic organisms. Jon was instrumental in developing collaboration with the Biology Department in marine sciences, which benefited many students over the years.

Jon grew up in Topanga Canyon, minutes away from the beach, and was the iconic California beach boy. No matter what the weather, Jon lectured in shorts, Birkenstocks, and beach shirts. He proudly pinned his favorite written student comment to his bulletin board: “snappy dresser.” Jon had a marvelous sense of humor and made great coffee he would share with those who also arrived on campus at 6 am. He spoke with great pride of his wife, Kathy, Biology faculty member at College of the Canyons, his daughter Leah, then a Ph.D. student in marine biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and his son Tyler, just beginning his studies in metal working. Jon entered the FERP program in 2013 and finished it in 2016 when he was named emeritus professor.