UA Ecologist to Chair Section of National Higher Education Association

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A University of Alabama ecologist is scheduled to become a division chair in the nation’s oldest higher education association during the organization’s annual meeting set for Nov. 11-13 in New York.

Dr. Amy Ward, professor of biological sciences and director of UA’s Center for Freshwater Studies, is set to become chair of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges’ ecology section during the upcoming meeting.

Founded in 1887, the national organization, known as NASULGC, is an association of public research universities, land-grant institutions and many state public university systems. Its 216 member institutions enroll more than 3.6 million students, according to the organization, and it is dedicated to excellence in learning, discovery and engagement.

NASULGC’s ecology section, which Ward presently serves as vice-chair, promotes university-based programs in the ecological sciences, providing leadership in communicating with federal agencies, states, media and private organizations. It promotes the public understanding of ecological issues and assists universities in achieving interdisciplinary programs.

Ward, a faculty member in UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, also heads a graduate education program to support students in freshwater studies. In the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training program, known as IGERT, UA faculty from biological sciences, geography and geology participate jointly with faculty in similar areas from the University of New Mexico.

The program allows students from each of the two universities to travel to the other region and study freshwater environments in contrasting climates. The students also participate in externships with state and federal agencies where they apply what they’ve learned in dissertation research to real-world problems.

UA’s Center for Freshwater Studies, which Ward founded, is dedicated to understanding and preserving water, the environment in and around it, and the plants and animals, including people, that depend on it. This teaching, research and outreach program draws together faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering, the School of Law and the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration.