RE Group - Ross Tallman

Biographical Sketch:  Ross Tallman - nomination RE (Research) Group Executive

“The career progression process leaves one either believing your own press clippings or a sense that you are somehow a fraud – neither of which is accurate” An observation by a RES-04 to Ross Tallman when he was a section head.  For seekers of “best approximations to the truth” such as members of the RE Group the interface between management and research is particularly disconcerting.

 Ross Tallman has a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia and has served as a Research Scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada for nearly 30 years.  He did his doctoral research on Pacific Salmon at the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo, British Columbia in collaboration with federal research scientists.  He started with the federal government in 1987, working on marine fishes, at the Gulf Fisheries Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick.  In 1991 he took a scientist position at the Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg to work on Arctic fishes. In 2005, he was asked to serve as a section head for the Arctic Stock Assessment and Integrated Ecosystem Research Section and oversaw growth of the section from 10 to 30 positions.  He has convened hiring boards for several research scientists now working in the section as well as competitions for a number of biologists.  He remained an active research scientist during his time as section head until he was allowed to return full time to research in the summer of 2016.  He has a career total of over 250 publications varying from primary publication, departmental reports and reports to funding agencies.  He is concerned that over the past number of years Science management often seemed to be making decisions that threaten the integrity and professional development of scientists affecting research collaboration, career progression and research governance. Ross has served for two years on the RE Group Executive.