Harper College Associate Biology Professor Craig Stettner died on Christmas day while on a family vacation in Costa Rica. Stettner had arrived in Costa Rica a few days before he was to lead a Study-Abroad Course for Harper students from January 3-13, doing field research in the Costa Rican Rainforest. Stettner had conducted this very popular course for Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, for the last ten years. He considered Costa Rica his second home. He was reportedly carried away by a riptide while swimming with his family at Playa Hermosa, Jaco. The course Stettner was to lead has now been cancelled by Harper College.
The course description for Professor Stettner’s course indicated there would be “The study of tropical ecosystems on site with a specific focus on elements of the tropical rainforests that most interest you. Explore primary and secondary rainforests, tropical seasonal forests and mangrove communities, living in an isolated biological field station for five days with a veteran Costa Rican naturalist.”
Stettner’s students were to have enjoyed guided tours, rainforest restoration, volunteer opportunities at an animal rescue center, and the research and presentation of a wild animal at the animal rescue center. Both this course, and Stettner as the professor, received rave reviews from participants each year.
Kathy Bruce, Dean of Mathematics and Science at Harper College, said of Professor Stettner’s class, “His classroom had no walls. He wanted his students to experience what he was teaching them. And one of the most frequent ways was yo’d see Craig on campus with a class full of students in waders with nets and buckets. They’d be out on Harper Pond collecting specimens.”
Dr. Ken Ender, President of Harper College, described Professor Stettner as follows: “His commitment to conservation and passion for the environment inspired his students. Craig leaves behind a troop of ‘eco-warriors’ who will carry on his work.”
Professor Stettner also left behind a wife and children. A gofundme account has been set up to assist his family in this tragic time of grief, called Craig “Craigers” Stettner Fund.
Costa Rica has seen an unprecedented number of accidental drownings of Americans this year. Everyone should take heed, never swim alone, and ask the locals about the tides at the particular beach you are visiting. Water accidents are the second cause of accidental death in Costa Rica, and make Costa Rica one of the most dangerous beach tourism destinations in Central America.
The course description for Professor Stettner’s course indicated there would be “The study of tropical ecosystems on site with a specific focus on elements of the tropical rainforests that most interest you. Explore primary and secondary rainforests, tropical seasonal forests and mangrove communities, living in an isolated biological field station for five days with a veteran Costa Rican naturalist.”
Stettner’s students were to have enjoyed guided tours, rainforest restoration, volunteer opportunities at an animal rescue center, and the research and presentation of a wild animal at the animal rescue center. Both this course, and Stettner as the professor, received rave reviews from participants each year.
Kathy Bruce, Dean of Mathematics and Science at Harper College, said of Professor Stettner’s class, “His classroom had no walls. He wanted his students to experience what he was teaching them. And one of the most frequent ways was yo’d see Craig on campus with a class full of students in waders with nets and buckets. They’d be out on Harper Pond collecting specimens.”
Dr. Ken Ender, President of Harper College, described Professor Stettner as follows: “His commitment to conservation and passion for the environment inspired his students. Craig leaves behind a troop of ‘eco-warriors’ who will carry on his work.”
Professor Stettner also left behind a wife and children. A gofundme account has been set up to assist his family in this tragic time of grief, called Craig “Craigers” Stettner Fund.
Costa Rica has seen an unprecedented number of accidental drownings of Americans this year. Everyone should take heed, never swim alone, and ask the locals about the tides at the particular beach you are visiting. Water accidents are the second cause of accidental death in Costa Rica, and make Costa Rica one of the most dangerous beach tourism destinations in Central America.
