title: The accidental protozoologist--my journey through the world of ciliates.
abstract: The Past-President's Address has been the opportunity for the speaker to reminisce about the road traveled to get to this time in life. In this paper, I continue in that tradition. During my journey to the present day, I visited different laboratories, studying the genetics of mating and mating types in Paramecium, Tetrahymena, Blepharisma and Euplotes. I have met and worked with many distinguished scientists, including other Past-Presidents of the Society. I also became an active participant in the Society of Protozoologists. I hope the recounting of my trip will be both entertaining and enlightening.
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Sciences, Baruch College, New York, New York 10010, USA. Lea_Bleyman@baruch.cuny.edu
authors.forename: Lea K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Bleyman
mesh_terms: D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D010274:Parasitology / Q000266:history*; D014481:United States