Azle resident explains his love of microbiology

Tom Stuart

Tom Stuart, 67, has been searching for answers his entire life, and he’s found many through the lens of a microscope.

“Science was the first thing that I really fell in love with,” he said. “I have an interest in almost everything from whale poop to astronomy.”

He’s not kidding about the whale poop. In fact, Tom earned a bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate, all in water science, at the University of North Texas.

“I have studied smaller microbiology for a lot of my life, peering through a microscope, studying the little microbes, the ecology of them and the different kinds of algae there.”

His research was often related to the oil industry. If an oil company wanted a permit to add another rig, a study would have to be conducted to make sure the ecosystem wasn’t being disrupted by the current rig. Tom explained that in the process of erecting a rig, oil companies drop thousands of pounds of gravel into the water in order to create causeways. It’s enough rock to stabilize a drill – typically 60-70 meters high.

Tom would tag the fish living near a causeway and study them for months to determine how the altered habitat was affecting various species’ size, weight and overall health. He found that the ecosystem was often affected negatively.

Tom learned about drilling from an early age. His dad was a pioneer in the industry – he was one of the first petroleum engineers. You might think growing up with a father in the gas and oil industry fueled Tom’s interest in this field, but the truth is that he simply loved to fish. Researching freshwater microorganisms ensured a good fishing spot was nearby.

Tom recalled warm, sunny days on the lakes and rivers with his father. The family home was only a stone’s throw away from White Rock Lake in Northeast Dallas. Tom says that lake isn’t an ideal fishing spot because the water is too shallow and hot, but that didn’t stop him and his friends from walking and bicycling down to the lake after school regularly.

As an adult, when he wasn’t catching and tagging small fish for research, he was catching big fish for dinner. He also enjoyed hunting duck, goose, deer – even caribou while he worked in Alaska – but he always made his way back home to Texas, where he primarily worked out of the University of North Texas.

Tom has also spent a great deal of time studying the human brain. As a teen, he began searching for a way to help his father, who struggled with mental illness.

“It affected our whole family life,” he said, “to the point where I thought he should be sent away, but my mother wanted to keep him at home.”

Tom, who was later diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, continues this research now that his dad has passed.

“I think studying mental illness is very important in our country,” he said. “There’s a huge stigma to having mental illness in this country. I want everybody to learn more about it.”

Tom moved to Azle Manor, a rehabilitation and nursing facility northwest of Fort Worth, about a year ago, after he broke his left leg and hip. He said he works hard in physical therapy hoping to regain his strength. Despite his current situation, Tom says he doesn’t consider himself retired.

“They tell me that I still receive research requests,” he said.

Even though Azle Manor offers a variety of activities for its residents, Tom wishes he still had his microscope from the University of North Texas. He says he’d love to study the rocks in the aquarium down the hall.

Without access to his microscope, there’s little for him to study, except the good-looking nurses at Azle Manor. “I’m not dead yet,” he said grinning.