Michael Kirtland Skinner
Born: 1956, Redmond, Oregon
Married: Roberta Anne McMaster , 1975 in Pendleton Ore
Children: Jason Kirtland ,born June 20 1977 in Portland Ore.
Shanna Elizabeth ,born Nov 22 1981 in Pullman Wash.
Information:
Michael Kirtland Skinner was born in Redmond Oregon on May 12 1956 to Hugh Kirtland (Kirt) Skinner and Tonya Valorie Skinner, maiden name Wolf. His grandfather Hugh Sackett Skinner had a 40 acre ranch outside of Redmond Oregon and Kirt and Tonya lived on the ranch when Mike was born. Soon after the family moved to town and and for several years the family moved around to small towns like Prineville, Bend, Madras in central Oregon on construction jobs. The family then moved to Portland Oregon and lived in east Portland on 112th and Halsey. By this time Mike had a couple brothers Rick and Jeff Skinner. Mike attended grade school in Portland through the 5th grade and obtained two more brothers Don and Mark Skinner. During the summer after his 5th grade year the family moved to Swan Island, Junction City outside Eugene Oregon for the summer, and then moved to Pendleton Oregon and lived on Byers Street with his four brothers. Several years later the family moved outside of town to a small ranch in Mission on the Umatilla Indian reservation. During the summers Mike built fence on his grandfathers, Lester Wolf, ranch on Coer D' Alene Lake in Idaho, or as an Eagle Scout worked on the staff of Wallowa Lake Boy Scout Camp at Wallowa Lake Oregon. Mike finished grade school and went to High School at Pendleton High School and graduated in June 1974. Mike was a wrestler from the 7th grade through High School and wrestled varsity. He obtained a four year wrestling scholarship to go to Warner Pacific College in Portland Oregon that he accepted. During his Junior year in High School he noticed a score keeper on the wrestling team, Roberta (Bobbie) Anne McMaster, born September 19, 1955 in Portland Oregon to Mack Edward McMaster and Gloria Dominica McMaster. Bobbie was in her senior year and Mike and Bobbie went on their first date April 1, 1973, horse back riding to watch the sun rise on Mike families ranch outside of Pendleton. They continued to date and during Mike's first year of college long distance from Portland. They were married September 6th 1975 and moved to Portland where Mike attended his second year of college at Warner Pacific. He then obtained his Associate of Science degree from Warner Pacific College and moved to Reed College in Portland Oregon on an academic scholarship and stopped wrestling. While attending Reed as a chemistry major Mike and Bobbie had a son, Jason Kirtland Skinner born June 20 1977 in Portland. Mike finished his Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Chemistry and minor in Theology from Reed College in June of 1979. While in college Mike was an instructor at Western States College in Portland. Mike then accepted a graduate fellowship at Washington State University in Pullman Washington and moved the family in June of 1979. He started a PhD program in Biochemistry and in November 22 1981 had a daughter Shanna Elizabeth Skinner. He finished his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Biochemistry from Washington State University in 1982. Mike then accepted a Medical Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Charles H. Best Institute at the University of Toronto in Toronto Ontario Canada, and moved his family in September of 1982 to Toronto. Jason Skinner attended first grade in Toronto and Mike was the president of the parent teacher association. In the summer of 1984 Mike accepted an Assistant Professor position at Vanderbilt University in Nashville Tennessee and moved his family in September of 1984 to Nashville in a suberb called Rolling River in Belevue Tennessee. Mike joined the faculty of the Pharmacology Department and established his own research laboratory studying the molecular and cellular biology of the testis and ovary. Bobbie obtained a position as a teachers aid and Jason and Shanna attended grade school. Mike became the president of the Rolling River Homeowners Association and ran the Rolling River youth soccor program. Mike was then recruited by the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and accepted an Associate Professor position in the Center for Reproductive Endocrinolgy and Department of Physiology. In the summer of 1991 Mike moved the family to San Francisco to a suberb in Marin County called San Rafael California. Mike moved his research laboratory and personnel to continue his research in the molecular and cellular aspects of reproduction. Jason attended High School and Shanna Junior High in San Rafael. Bobbie continued as a teachers aid at Dixie Grade School. Mike started consulting with the biotechnology industry while at UCSF. Jason went off to college at the University of Oregon in the area of English Literature. In 1996 Mike was recruited back to Washington State University to form the Center for Reproductive Biology and take a Professor position in the Department of Genetics and Cell Biology. In the summer of 1996 Mike moved his family to Pullman Washington and Shanna entered Pullman High School. Mike again moved his research laboratory and personnel to continue his research in the molecular and cellular biology of reproduction with a focus on testis and ovary function. In 1996 Mike founded and started his first Biotechnology company Atairgin Technology Inc. in the Washington State University Research Park. The company developed cancer diagnostics and therapeutics with a focus on bioactive lipids. In 1998 the company moved to Irvine California and Mike stepped down as President to become Chief Scientific Officer and sit on the Board of Directors. In 2003 Atairgin became LPL Technologies Inc. and moved to Cleveland Ohio. During this time Mike retained his faculty position at WSU and developed and directed the WSU and University of Idaho, Center for Reproductive Biology, www.reproduction.wsu.edu. In 2000 Shanna graduated from Pullman High School and went to the Universtiy of Washington for two years and then returned to Washington State University in the sports medicine area. In 2002 and 2003 Mike helped another start up biotechnology company, BioOrigin, in Spokane Washington and was the Chairman of its Board of Directors. The company is now Ing Fertility, Spokane Washington. In 2002 WSU appointed Mike to develop and direct the Center for Integrated Biotechnology at WSU, www.biotechnology.wsu.edu. Mike is currently a Professor in the School of Molecular Biosciences and Director of both the Center for Reproductive Biology and Center for Integrated Biotechnology at WSU, and has an active research laboratory, www.skinner.wsu.edu. Mike and Bobbie currently live in Pullman Washington.
