December 18, 2009 Dr. Jon Katz Professor and Chair of the History Department Oregon State University 306 Milam Hall Corvallis, OR 97331 It is with great pleasure and a fulfilling sense of professional duty, that I write this letter of recommendation for Will Sarvis. I have known Will since we met as colleagues at Lane Community College over five years ago and am happy to take this opportunity to recommend Will for your History of Science Graduate Program at Oregon State University. Will is a very self-motivated individual and consistently challenges himself to meet his maximum potential. Having worked with many instructors over my last two decades in education, I can honestly say that Will's genuine desire to succeed will make him among the most exemplary candidates for future excellence. His sound sense of reason and confident articulation of ideas has confirmed his academic preparation at his prior institutions, such as Virginia Tech University, an institution similar to your own. Both were founded within several years of one another as land grant colleges. I've never left a discussion with Will without feeling personally enlightened. Will always impresses me with his depth of knowledge and an uncanny ability to relate the historical past to current events. I am certain that his previous work experience with the National Forest Service and even as a museum curator has provided a "hands on" element to his academic work in history. In a number of these positions, Will took oral history interviews from persons of interest. He took a leadership role in the entire endeavor, from contacting the people and setting up a time and place to meet, to the tedious hours of transcription after the interview had been completed. To make his subjects comfortable, he would often travel hours to their homes, toting the microphone and tape recorder tools of the trade. Will's superb ability to listen to his subject and engage them in a way that would result in a frank and honest historical self-accounting, often resulted in a preservation of the historical past that would have been lost otherwise. In our most recent project, Will and I served as technical liasons and trainers to faculty at Lane Community College. His clarity, thoughtfulness, and attention to detail in both workshops and written follow up emails, was essential to completing the work in a worthwhile manner. It is just one more example of how he displays skill and dedication to his work. In the classroom, Will has the ability to deliver a clear and well-thought presentation to his students. I have benefitted personally in my own teaching by examples that he has demonstrated in his own classes. In addition, I have taken the opportunity to read several of his published works and likewise have enjoyed the impact that his talented writing style delivers. I honestly believe that his talents, coupled with those of others in your program will create an experience that is mutually beneficial to all involved. I consider Will to be a prime candidate for success in his continuing education and any future career he chooses. I recommend him without reservation. He has demonstrated the qualities of a true collegian. Will is not only qualified to continue his studies at Oregon State University, but is, more likely, a preferred candidate for your consideration. I can only hope, for selfish reasons, that he returns to the history department at Lane Community College and that we may continue our work together. If you have any questions regarding this recommendation, please do not hesitate to contact me. Joe Escobar History Instructor Social Science Department Lane Community College