Walter Emil Westman

Walter Emil Westman (5 November 1945 - 3 January 1991) was an American ecologist, researcher, and activist. He founded the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP) in 1980.

Early life and education

Walter Emil was born to the Wieselmann family in 1945. The family changed their name to Westman in late 1949 when they moved to Puerto Rico, hoping to avoid antisemitism. He attended the Commonwealth School and excelled there. The family were forced to return to the US in 1955 when their glove factory failed.

Research and career

After completing his PhD in 1971, Westman participated in the American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship Programme in Washington DC, during which time he helped draft amendments to the 1972 Water Pollution Control Act.

In 1984, Westman left UCLA and joined the Office of Ecosystem Science and Technology at the NASA/Ames Research Center, San Francisco, as a research scientist. Through this appointment, he helped pioneer the use of remote sensing into the study of plant communities.

His transdisciplinary approach to coastal ecosystems drew together human and physical geography techniques, culminating in the influential book Ecology, Impact Assessment, and Environmental Planning, which integrated theoretical and applied ecology with impact assessment and policy development.

In addition to his interest in plant ecology, Westman was influential in the field of environmental policy. In addition to his book, he produced articles such as "How much are Nature's services worth?", which advised on the environmental policies of the US government at the time.

Westman left academia for a period of five years before his death in 1991, in order to focus on advisory roles and activism. However, he continued to work in science as a staff scientist in Ecology and Environmental Policy at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, where he continued to apply remote sensing techniques to detect tropical deforestation and vegetation stress, and work on ecological restoration.

Westman ultimately resigned from his role on the board of directors in 1988, in order to focus on his work in AIDS activism.

Legacy Westman's papers are held at the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries.

The Walt Westman Award, awarded by the Out to Innovate professional society, is the highest recognition given to a member of the organization formerly known as NOGLSTP, in recognition of their significant contributions to the organisation's mission, and what it means to be an LGBTQ+ role model.