Findlay Selected for Biology Professorship

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — An ecologist whose research results have been published in peer-reviewed scholarly journals on more than 40 occasions recently joined The University of Alabama as the J. Nicholene Bishop Professor of Biology.

Dr. Robert H. Findlay joined UA from Miami University where he had been a faculty member since 1993.

“Dr. Findlay’s ability to bridge microbial diversity with ecosystem dynamics is notable and the range of techniques he applies is also particularly broad,” said Dr. Martha Powell, professor and chair of biological sciences.

“He will build our emerging strength in aquatic microbial ecology, and his experience in freshwater, estuarine and marine systems well exemplifies the research capabilities of our aquatic program,” Powell said. “He will be working along with aquatic scientists in the department and in the Center for Freshwater Studies in investigations of the dynamics between ecosystem processing and biodiversity. He also shows a strong commitment to education, an important facet of the Bishop Professorship.”

Findlay’s research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, the Environmental Protection Agency and others.

Prior to joining Miami University, Findlay was on the faculty of the University of Maine. He earned his master’s and doctorate at Florida State University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut.

The biological sciences department is part of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest public liberal arts college in the state, with approximately 5,500 undergraduates and 1,000 graduate students. The College has received national recognition for academic excellence, and the College’s students have been selected for many of the nation’s top academic honors, including 13 Rhodes Scholarships, 14 Goldwater Scholarships, seven Truman Scholarships, and 15 memberships on USA Today’s Academic All-American teams.