Genomics For Everyone is Greg’s parting gift to citizens everywhere. If Greg were here today, his message to you would be the following: Genomics is changing your world. Educate yourself, engage with your fellow citizens and let your voice be heard.

Greg’s true passion and calling was as a science educator. Although trained as a scientist, he spent a good portion of his professional life bringing genetics (and later genomics) to the people. He believed innovation in these areas was best served when the general public worked alongside scientists and policymakers. The tagline and vision for his non-profit (Geneforum) was “Informing Citizens for the Gene Age.” He strongly believed an informed public should be a key stakeholder in deciding how advancements in genomics be used for the benefit of society.

As with many of Greg’s projects, his vision was ahead of the curve. There is a stubborn and prevailing perception among scientists and experts that the public lacks the capacity to understand the complexities of science and technology; involving them in any decision making process would be pointless. “Trust us” is the common refrain, but he believed the scientific community would only be able to uphold that trust through meaningful engagement with the public.

Greg worked tirelessly toward his vision. He criss-crossed Oregon giving talks at town hall meetings, classrooms, teacher workshops and communities, both urban and rural. Not once did he return from his presentations frustrated by their lack of sophistication. Quite the contrary. He was impressed by their level of engagement and interest in the subject matter. He proved that informing the public is both possible, rewarding and necessary.

In all his travels, his most receptive audience were the high school students. It was here that he would focus his energies for the last 5 years of his life. He met with biology teachers in Oregon to develop a curriculum that, for the first time, included genomics. In his 2016 Column in Genome Magazine, he wrote:

“(I)t is of vital importance to ensure that future generations understand the genomic concepts necessary to make informed and responsible decisions about how they—and their children—will be living their lives.”