Unfathomable Curiosity
The Amazing Career of Biological Sciences Emeritus Professor Peter Castro, Ph.D.
“Every day is an interesting experience for me.” With these words Emeritus Professor Peter Castro has given the through-line for his very productive and rewarding life. To be sure, his insatiable quest for knowledge has taken him to the bottom of the ocean, around the world, through the halls of academia, and deep inside his own ever-curious mind.
During his celebrated tenure at the Cal Poly Pomona College of Science he greatly expanded the marine biology curriculum, researched relentlessly, published prodigiously, gave generously, and inspired students across the academic spectrum.
So much life beneath the surface
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Castro began his fascination with the natural world early, heading to the ocean with his mask and snorkel to glimpse the world beneath the waves. Later, a high school field trip to a marine biology lab would cinch his career choice.
After completing undergraduate work at the University of Puerto Rico, he was drawn to the Hawaiian Islands, where he earned master's and doctoral degrees in Marine Zoology at the University of Hawaii. The locale also afforded an idyllic setting for an inquisitive scientist: a stint as caretaker at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology’s research center on Coconut Island. There he was free to pursue his focus on parasitology and symbiosis in deep-water crustaceans unhindered.
Castro comes to Cal Poly Pomona
It was parasitology which drew Castro to Cal Poly Pomona in 1972. The school needed someone to teach the subject and, in his words, “the faculty was very enthusiastic about developing a variety of courses.”
Fortunately, they found someone who personifies enthusiasm for learning. During his four-decade term here Castro stirred the minds of thousands of students—not just for studying marine science but the natural world as a whole. Moreover, he inspired many young scholars to seek a doctoral degree in marine biology.
As a lifetime learner himself, Castro has enriched his core expertise through voracious reading across the breadth of other sciences. He even earned a bachelor's degree in history and a minor in art History while teaching here.
I have to constantly be aware of new things...and discoveries.
It’s a lot of work, but I really love it. -Professor Emeritus Peter Castro, Ph.D.
Castro has been outspoken regarding climate change and the environment, a cause he supported through a generous bequest to the College of Science.
To support student success, he funded the Rachel Carson Environmental Science Scholarship, and the Honors Scholarship for the Study of the Environment. In 2021, he established the Peter Castro Evolution and Biodiversity Scholarship, and the Peter Castro Marine Biology Faculty Research Award which will be used to support faculty research in the Biological Sciences department.
He is also co-author of what is considered one of the most important and widely used textbooks in the field,Marine Biology, which has been translated into many languages, and is now in its eleventh edition. In addition, Castro has served as a visiting professor around the world, including Ukraine, where he stood as a Fulbright Scholar at Odessa State University.
Always looking ahead
His enthusiasm has never ebbed since stepping down from full-time teaching in 2003. Upending the notion of retirement, Castro is still actively writing—notably for the next edition of his textbook and is the avid editor-in-chief of the Journal of Crustacean Biology.
Always one to look toward the next frontier, Castro’s intense work leaves him scant time for reflection. Yet he fondly remembers those earliest days when he first glimpsed life underwater, describing it as “incredibly beautiful and diverse.” Given his impressive career, he clearly feels the same way about the world’s vast ocean of knowledge.