William Bowerman Receives Inaugural Phi Kappa Phi Sabbatical Award

William “Bill” Bowerman, professor of wildlife ecology and toxicology at the University of Maryland, College Park, 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) and its transmission to domestic poultry flocks.

Bowerman intends on conducting research both locally and nationally, 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 robust 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. The application process for the 2024 Sabbatical Award will open in August 2024.

About Phi Kappa Phi
Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi inducts approximately 25,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni annually. The Society has chapters on more than 325 select colleges and universities in the United States, its territories and the Philippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify. The Society’s mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and engage the community of scholars in service to others.” For more information, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org.

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