Ed is an older professor and science researcher who is very close to retirement. He was a friend of Jahren’s dissertation advisor, and she considered him like an uncle to her. After she set up her own lab, she ran into Ed at a conference, where he ended up offering to let her take all of his old supplies from his lab, as they would just be thrown out. She and Bill rent two U-Hauls to bring the supplies back to their lab, and are thankful for all of the money they have saved.