E. Parmasto
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Name
Erast Parmasto
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Dates
23 Oct 1928 - 24 Apr 2012
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Specialities
Mycology, Lichens
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Roles
Author, Determiner, Collector
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Movement Details
Russia, Estonia
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Notes
From Obituary:
Erast Parmasto, the Academician of the Estonian Academy of Science, and leading expert in biosystematics died on 24 April 2012.
Erast Parmasto was born on 23rd of October in 1928 in the town of Nõmme (merged with Tallinn in 1940). He was the youngest son of a chest maker working at the State Printing House in Tallinn. After finishing the Kivimäe Elementary School in 1942, he continued his studies at the Tallinn Secondary School no. 10 (named the Nõmme Gymnasium before and afterwards), from which he graduated with honours (silver medal) in 1947. During 1947–1952 he studied at the faculty of mathematics and life sciences at Tartu State University, graduating cum laude as a biologist-botanist.
He pursued his post-graduate studies at the Institute of Biology of the Estonian Academy of Sciences in Tartu from 1952 to 1955. He was supervised by the renowned mycologist-systematician Apollinari Bondarzew, professor at the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union in Leningrad. Parmasto was awarded the candidate's degree in biology (Ph. D.) in 1955 and the doctor's degree (D. Sc.) in biology in 1969. In 1972 he was elected to be a member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences. He has worked since 1950 until present at the Institute of Biology of the Estonian Academy of Sciences (later renamed or reorganised to the Institute of Zoology and Botany of Estonian Agricultural University or of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, followed by its amalgamation in the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of the Estonian University of Life Sciences). The positions held include senior gardener, senior lab assistant, senior and principal researcher, head of a department and a laboratory, scientific secretary and director, later as a senior researcher again. He has participated in 63 mycological research expeditions abroad and published more than 400 scientific or popular scientific studies.
During 1951–1977 he was teaching part-time at the Department of Botany of the University of Tartu. He was teaching courses in mycology, methodology of science, cladistics, cladistic biogeography and principles of biosystematics. He also supervised laboratory and field courses in mycology, and introduction to computer applications as well as taught to use computers in plant and fungal systematics. During 1987–1995, he worked as a part-time professor at the same department. He was awarded the title of emeritus professor of mycology in 1980. Besides his scientific work, Erast Parmasto has performed the duties of the academician-secretary of the department of chemistry, geology and biology of the Estonian Academy of Sciences from 1973 to 1981, and served as the editor of the popular scientific journal Eesti Loodus (Estonian Nature) during 1957–1960. -
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