William “Bill” Bowerman, professor of wildlife ecology and toxicology at the University of Maryland has been selected by The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi—the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines—as the inaugural recipient of the Phi Kappa Phi Mary Todd Sabbatical Award.
The $50,000 Sabbatical Award, named for former Society Executive Director, Dr. Mary Todd, honors one faculty member to support a sabbatical year or similar reassignments of duties. Bowerman will use the funds from the award to conduct research on the effect of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to sea eagles and its transmission to domestic poultry flocks.
Carried by wild migratory birds, HPAI has been spreading rapidly around the world. It arrived in the US from Eurasia in late 2021, and has since decimated some wild bird populations that had not previously been affected by less virulent strains of bird flu. The disease poses a threat to wild species as well as poultry operations.
Bowerman has spent his 40-year career working to understand the impacts of human activity on the complex ecological systems that support eagles. He is world renown for his ground-breaking, integrated approach to eagle ecology and his relentless dedication to preserving eagle populations around the world.
Bowerman intends on conducting research both locally and internationally, in hopes of creating new collaborations across five continents and bringing together some of the largest and longest data sets on populations of sea eagles. “I had a big dream for my sabbatical, this award will make it a reality,” said Bowerman.
The selection process for a Sabbatical Award is based on applicant letter addressing the significance of the proposed research or other scholarly project and the relevance of the proposed activity in contributing to Phi Kappa Phi's mission of recognizing and promoting academic excellence in all fields of higher education and engaging the community of scholars in service to others.
“It is with great pleasure that we recognize Bill with Phi Kappa Phi’s inaugural Sabbatical Award. This new Phi Kappa Phi award was designed to recognize our faculty scholars and dedicated volunteers who demonstrate the Love of Learning throughout their career. We look forward to witnessing the continued impact of William’s extraordinary research and service activities well into the future,” said Society Executive Director and CEO Dr. Bradley R. Newcomer.
The Sabbatical Award is one of the newest additions to the Society’s portfolio of award and grant programs, which gives $1.3 million each year to outstanding students and members through graduate and dissertation fellowships, funding for post-baccalaureate development, and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives. Phi Kappa Phi is proud to offer an award exclusively for undergraduates and this program is a welcome addition to the Society's portfolio.
To learn more about the Society’s award programs, visit www.phikappaphi.org/awards.
