Oregon State Outrage

March 8, 2011 6:57 PM

Art Robinson, a research professor at Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, ran (and lost) as a Tea Party Congressional candidate in his district in 2010. He now claims that three of his children who are all PhD candidates at Oregon State University - a place he describes as "a liberal socialist Democrat stronghold" [warning: self-penned WorldNetDaily crzy] - were prevented from earning their degrees as political payback by his opponent's supporters. In retribution, he created a website which publishes the contact information for the Nuclear Engineering faculty and urges his supporters to put pressure on them to end the political discrimination he says is occurring, but which he admits he has no proof. OSU says the allegation is without merit.
posted by contessa (46 comments total)

Fucking black-helicopter parents.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:04 PM on March 8, 2011 [74 favorites]

Imagine how the kids turned out.
posted by CautionToTheWind at 7:05 PM on March 8, 2011

"That is what I believe. Basically, I know what happened. I cannot tell you the motives of the people doing it.”

Well, gosh, if he really feels that might be happening, obviously that justifies an aggressive attack. I hope the liberal court system doesn't try to enact some sort of liberal libel suit on him.
posted by Joey Michaels at 7:10 PM on March 8, 2011

And here I always thought OSU was the conservative school! If he thinks OSU is liberal, I'd love* to hear what he thinks of the University of Oregon just down the road.

* no, not really
posted by inparticularity at 7:10 PM on March 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

All three kids were PhD students in the same department? Weird.
posted by mr_roboto at 7:11 PM on March 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Perhaps his kids figured they didn't have to try because Dad was such a raging terrorfreak that no faculty member would dare oppose him?

I don't have any evidence for this, but I do have a feeling* it's true. Because that's where we're setting the bar, right?

*a sort of ticklish, warmish, swirly-ish, right above my right kidney, well not right above it, to the left a little, feeling.
posted by emjaybee at 7:15 PM on March 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

So, the school doesn't comment on it directly, obviously, per policy - so, there's just Art Robinson's tale of intrigue.. and I am like the last person to defend anyone ever at any time that uses the phrase "a liberal socialist Democrat stronghold"... but I find it incredibly odd that, as mr_roboto commented, he had three kids that were PhD students in the same department, and, furthermore, that all three were terminated at the same time? I mean, that's weird, right? But there has to be a more sane side of the story, right?
posted by kbanas at 7:15 PM on March 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

There's a simple solution to this problem.
posted by neuron at 7:18 PM on March 8, 2011 [6 favorites]

World Net Daily, eh?

If I had a story of moral outrage where a political apparatus systematically screwed over my family, WND is the last place I'd want it published (why would one publish truthful stories in the context of complete and utter nonsense?).

Also confusing, if they are facing expulsion and all of this other stuff, isn't there *anything* of a paper trail anywhere? Why not publish evidence (*any evidence*) if he has it?

Now the allegations of the thesis advisers stealing the work of the PHD students and claiming it as their own; isn't that how academia works?

(not an academic)
posted by el io at 7:21 PM on March 8, 2011

According to his Wikipedia entry Robinson is also a creationist and the primary author of the infamous anti-global warming "Oregon Petition" that was formatted to look just like a paper from the National Academy of Sciences.

While Robinson's title might be professor, the OISM is a research institute that he co-founded in 1980. The OISM currently has six faculty, including Robinson and two of his sons.
posted by plastic_animals at 7:28 PM on March 8, 2011 [9 favorites]

Whoops, meant to link to DeSmogBlog on the Oregon Petition.
posted by plastic_animals at 7:29 PM on March 8, 2011

Lest anyone think Art Robinson is playing with a full deck, I wish to kindly disabuse you of this notion.

Rache, bless her heart, keeps her cool.
posted by contessa at 7:29 PM on March 8, 2011 [3 favorites]

Fucking black-helicopter parents.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:04 PM on March 8

OK, for the first time in my entire internet life, I ACTUALLY LITERALLY SPIT BEER ON MY MONITOR, Horace! Thanks for that! Too funny.
posted by Ron Thanagar at 7:30 PM on March 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

The biggest problem facing this country (and most likely the world) is stupidity.
posted by Relay at 7:32 PM on March 8, 2011

Somewhat OT, from the end statement on the NPR site, from contessa's link:

So while the following clip was fun to watch, it’s still rather disappointing that when she finally gets a chance for a reasoned discussion with a GOP candidate, it serves only to exemplify the bitter divide we are currently living in.

This is what it sounds like when doves cry.

Oh please, truly, NPR? A batshit disseminator unable to answer direct questions about his previously logged statements? Really? Watching him bloviate makes you think of doves crying? Please. It's not about a bitter divide. Jesus.
posted by Ron Thanagar at 7:42 PM on March 8, 2011

(It's Mediaite, not NPR).
posted by contessa at 7:44 PM on March 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

Also confusing, if they are facing expulsion and all of this other stuff, isn't there *anything* of a paper trail anywhere? Why not publish evidence (*any evidence*) if he has it?

What kind of evidence would there likely be if such a thing occurred?

Now the allegations of the thesis advisers stealing the work of the PHD students and claiming it as their own; isn't that how academia works?

Was that in the graduate school brochures?
posted by peppito at 7:47 PM on March 8, 2011

Oregon State University - a place he describes as "a liberal socialist Democrat stronghold"

I've never been so proud to be an OSU student! Wow, liberal, socialist, and Democrat - the whole trifecta. I grew up in Corvallis and just moved back this fall to finish up my BS in ecology. OSU is on the conservative end of the Oregon state schools; the agriculture and forestry colleges give the school a distinctly more rural flavor. Corvallis is a really liberal town, sure, but the institution itself is pretty conservative. I trust the University and I have no reason to believe Robinson, especially with no evidence. He said some really loony stuff during the election and has pretty much no credibility as far as I'm concerned.

Every day, I take a moment to be grateful that Peter DeFazio is my congressman. There were Robinson signs everywhere during the election (especially in southern Oregon), it made me really nervous even though DeFazio won with like 80% in 2008. I would have wept for two straight years if Robinson had won. It's not even just that he's so bad, it's that DeFazio has been so great for so long. I remember holding signs on election day for him when I was like 7 years old.

Robinson is also a creationist and the primary author of the infamous anti-global warming "Oregon Petition" that was formatted to look just like a paper from the National Academy of Sciences.

My atmospheric science professor at OSU spent a whole class period debunking every single point of this stupid petition, it was a good way to learn the finer points of climate change (not that you have to know much to know the petition is crap). He tried really hard to be impartial, but I could tell that it made him really angry that people presented this stuff so dishonestly. Even so, he addressed each point fairly and presented evidence for his arguments, making note of any uncertainties and basically bending over backwards to show that he was not trying to brainwash anybody.
posted by dialetheia at 7:48 PM on March 8, 2011 [9 favorites]

(It's Mediaite, not NPR).
posted by contessa at 7:44 PM on March 8

GAH! I withdraw most of my outrage, as I assume Mediaite has less reach than NPR.

Sorry, let me buy you all fresh drinks to replace the ones I spilled with that knee-jerk just then!
posted by Ron Thanagar at 7:51 PM on March 8, 2011 [3 favorites]

Could you explain more what you find particularly interesting about this, since the professor/candidate is obviously crazy?
posted by Diablevert at 7:56 PM on March 8, 2011

I feel a certain obligation to point out that The Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine is not to be confused with Oregon Health and Science University or the Oregon Research Institute. In fact, OISM has, as far as I can tell, eight faculty, two of whom are deceased, three resident out of state, Dr. Robinson, and two other members of his family (not the former OSU students.)
Emjaybee, I suspect you might be on to something there, possibly related to the fact that Dr. Robinson home-schooled his kids. (NB: there's nothing inherently wrong with home-schooling, but it does provide a fine opportunity to raise your children in your own wacky image without much counter-programming, if that's a goal.)
posted by gingerest at 8:02 PM on March 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

So wait - I buy an old plate reader on E-bay, set it on the vanity and I can declare myself a professor and my spare bathroom an institute? If changing my last name to "Sinister" is this easy I'm going to go trim my goatee and shave my head.

Do we have any evidence that any of his three children were actually in a PhD program at Oregon State to begin with? Or enrolled there? Or exist? Because after reading about half the comments I can't help but think that this sounds just like Cal Tech refusing to give me my PhD despite the FACT that I HAVE never ACTUALLY set foot on their CAMPUS!
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 8:07 PM on March 8, 2011

Could you explain more what you find particularly interesting about this, since the professor/candidate is obviously crazy?

I don't think it's too soon to start vetting the 2012 Republican presidential candidates.
posted by happyroach at 8:09 PM on March 8, 2011 [6 favorites]

Could you explain more what you find particularly interesting about this, since the professor/candidate is obviously crazy?

In the interest of disclosure, I learned about this whole flap from a person who is one of the targets of this loony revenge scheme.

There are details that I can't share, because they're not in the press (thus - no links to back it up) and also because it would violate those kids' privacy to put the details on the interwebs myself. There is quite a lot going on here that Art Robinson is conveniently omitting - put it that way. Not to be all intriguealicious about it, I just don't know that I can say much more. Perhaps in time the larger truth will emerge.
posted by contessa at 8:14 PM on March 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Could you explain more what you find particularly interesting about this, since the professor/candidate is obviously crazy?

Art Robinson came closer than anyone in the past 20 years to unseating DeFazio. It also, again, illustrates the outright batshittery on the part of Tea Party candidates, and if 40% of the populace of this (my) congressional district voted for him, we're pretty much screwed.
posted by Danf at 8:19 PM on March 8, 2011 [3 favorites]

So, are the children real?
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:32 PM on March 8, 2011

Is there a university in the whole country that has three siblings in the same PhD program in a single department at the same time?
posted by straight at 8:35 PM on March 8, 2011

It's just....for their part, the university can't talk about what's going on with the students. So all we're left with is the accusations of this guy, and he certainly does seem to have a screw loose. So one is inclined to be quite skeptical of his claims. Beyond that I'm not certain there's all that much fodder for discussion, but he is certainly a public figure in Oregon, and others may have differing views.
posted by Diablevert at 8:37 PM on March 8, 2011

Art Robinson came closer than anyone in the past 20 years to unseating DeFazio

The last couple of elections he's been coasting so that's not surprising.
posted by madajb at 8:45 PM on March 8, 2011

I feel a certain obligation to point out that The Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine is not to be confused with Oregon Health and Science University or the Oregon Research Institute. In fact, OISM has, as far as I can tell, eight faculty, two of whom are deceased, three resident out of state, Dr. Robinson, and two other members of his family (not the former OSU students.)


So basically, Robinson and the OSIM is the west coast version of the Westboro Baptist "Church" sans funeral picketing?
posted by webhund at 8:49 PM on March 8, 2011

this story got mad play on conservapedia

THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING (statement may not be true)

THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING (statement may not be true)

THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING (statement may not be true)
posted by Sebmojo at 9:05 PM on March 8, 2011

this story got mad play on conservapedia

Is there any other kind?
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 9:11 PM on March 8, 2011 [3 favorites]

The Westboro Baptist Church doesn't have a mass spec - these guys do if their web site is to be believed.

Anyhow, apparently he really has a PhD in biochemistry. That being said, I could make a whole FPP out of their protein de-amidation work - lovingly explain protein degradation, talk about how it sometimes matters and sometimes doesn't - talk about how your body has repair mechanisms for the phenomenon, tell you how the biotech industry typically measures de-amidation in drug products and then I'd have you ready for their work on de-amidation.

I've read a bunch of their book in the past hour or so and it generally seems scientifically plausible, but what really impresses me is how it manages to hint at so many far reaching conclusions in an almost dire voice while at the same time making me say, "could I get a side of conclusion with this?"
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 9:36 PM on March 8, 2011

Look at this asshole. This has to catch on.
posted by IvoShandor at 2:42 AM on March 9, 2011

Another ironic thing is that, while Robinson claims that OSU is DeFazio's stronghold, DeFazio is, to anyone who has ever been around here, clearly a Duck.
posted by Danf at 5:53 AM on March 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

The Albany (OR) Democrat-Herald has an article in which they interviewed Joshua Robinson. According to him he passed his orals last month and has until March 18th (end of the winter quarter) to get together his graduate committee. The faculty member who is his advisor, and who is married to the department chair, withdrew as the advisor and nobody wants to serve on Robinson's committee. There's more about Bethany and Matthew as well.
posted by plastic_animals at 7:15 AM on March 9, 2011

Clue: Nuclear engineering faculties aren't usually leftist hotbeds of raving hippies...
posted by Skeptic at 7:29 AM on March 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

Eugene's daily rag has a pretty good editorial. This paper could be characterized as moderate Democrat, for the most part.
posted by Danf at 7:56 AM on March 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

From Danf's link: Robinson demanded the right to choose which faculty members his children would work with, and threatened to activate his network of supporters if OSU did not comply.

Gosh, I can't imagine why no one wants to be on his kids' thesis committees.

I actually know one of the Nuc. Eng. faculty members. If anything, they lean slightly conservative. Of course, in Robinson's world, that probably still makes them leftward of Stalin.
posted by dirigibleman at 8:34 AM on March 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

I think the father is responsible for this and likely very domineering, I think his children are in a tough spot.

Art Robinson has had an interesting career. Here is a very positive biography (but reading between the lines quite revealing) He started off well, going to Caltech and UCSD for his PhD. He left an assistant professor job to cofound the Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine with Linus Pauling.

He fell out with Pauling, largely it seems because his findings disagreed with Pauling's belief in the miraculous powers of vitamin C. Pauling seems to have legitimately mistreated him and Robinson took him to court, winning ~500k. They also had diametrically opposed political beliefs.

He used this to start his own organization, the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine. Which had some very big names attached to it. The big names however were quite elderly and are now deceased. The Institute is now composed almost exclusively of Robinson's family. The main output seems to be not science but The Robinson Curriculum for homeschoolers. The also engage in disagreeing with global warming and dabbled in civil defense stuff (like how to build a bomb shelter...) A basic component of the RC is that you shouldn't have to teach children, they should learn by themselves from quality material. If you spend a little time looking at the curriculum webpage it gives a lot of insight as to why the Robinson children might have had trouble integrating into graduate school. There is much strangeness there.

A little googling can also reveal some other odd stories. Basically he seems to be a smart guy who has gone increasingly off the rails. His children have led extremely sheltered lives in which he was their only parent and I think are in an unfortunate position.

But the idea that Peter DiFazio called OSU president Ed Ray saying, my defeated opponent's children must be expelled, is ridiculous on the face of it. The idea that Ed Ray then went to the department to ensure DiFazio's will be done is even nuttier.

I have some association with the department and could provide more details over mefimail if anyone is interested. (I was thinking about doing a post on this...)
posted by pseudonick at 10:35 AM on March 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

Robinson appears to be a crackpot, however it is also pretty curious that three related students are being forced out of a graduate PhD program at the same time. Nuclear engineering isn't really prone to political interperation. Nucleas split or they don't, reactors work or they don't. It doesn't really matter if the designer and operators believe in evolution or global warming or whatever. The shit works or it doesn't. Protons and neutrons don't give a damn on way or the other about who voted for what.

We just don't know what is going on behind the scenes, if the students work is really subpar enough to get the all kicked out at the same time or if their fathers behaviour is making working with the students such a pain in the ass it isn't worth it (i find this most likely).

It is at least possible that the Robinson's version of events is at least plausible-except for collusion on the part of Defazio. He is a moderate democrat and appears to be the kind of reasonable, honest politician (He stays bought...old joke) we want in congress. I don't find it hard to believe that a group of tenured academics would take it on themselves to make life hard on someone (s) they didn't think were 'the right kind of people' for joining their ranks based purely on political motivations. I actually find that kind of thinking to be somewhat prevalent here-oh you mean they like this aspect of the tea parties thinking? then they are clearly subhuman and deserve to be shot, is a sentiment I read here all the time.
posted by bartonlong at 11:18 AM on March 9, 2011

That should be nucleus, not nucleas
posted by bartonlong at 11:20 AM on March 9, 2011

It should be nuclei, actually.
posted by mr_roboto at 11:24 AM on March 9, 2011

At least i didn't saw newk-ler...(really I voted to for defazio, Like him and think robinson is a crackpot)
posted by bartonlong at 11:30 AM on March 9, 2011

"a liberal socialist Democrat stronghold"

Liberal and socialist? Right-wing rhetoric sounds like a political Tourette's at times.

I do like the stronghold description though: in my mind now Oregon State has huge stone walls around it, with dark towers at each corner and large, dark birds circling menacingly around the towers, their caws not loud enough to cover the screams from within.

The Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, on the other hand, makes you think of the kind of some remote operation in the basement of an isolated house, that would be a decent first port of call if you needed a human centipede running up.
posted by reynir at 12:22 PM on March 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

Uhmm, as memorably shown by Rachel Maddow, Art Robinson has, let's say, unconventional ideas regarding the effect of radiation on health. And all his home schooled children just chose to study Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics?! The old man appears to have quite a strong influence on them, doesn't he?
I suspect that the main reason for the OSU's discretion is that the Robinson children, or at least some of them, may be trying to shake their shackles. The OSU's insistent use of the word "adult" in its press release certainly hints at that. I just hope Robinson Sr. has not tested his more outlandish theories on his progeny.
posted by Skeptic at 1:38 PM on March 9, 2011