John Gardner (b. 1939) was a member of the OSU Physics faculty from 1973-2001, during which time he established himself as a world leader in perturbed angular correlation spectroscopy, a discipline within the field of solid state physics. Afflicted with poor vision from birth, Gardner lost all sight in 1988, when surgery to stem glaucoma went awry. Gardner's blindness led to a shift in his research from solid state physics to accessibility initiatives for low- or no-sight students and researchers in the sciences. In 1996 he founded ViewPlus Technologies as a vehicle for developing and marketing products that support this accessibility work. Gardner's interview focuses on his upbringing and training, his career in solid state physics, the loss of his sight, and the changes that his blindness brought about, both personally and professionally.
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen for inclusion in the Oregon State University Sesquicentennial Oral History Collection (OH 26), Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Oregon State University Libraries.
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