Erin Gillam, professor of biological sciences, has been selected to give NDSU’s prestigious Phi Kappa Phi Faculty Lecture. She is set to present “Listening in the Dark: The Amazing Acoustic World of Bats” on Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 3 p.m. in the Memorial Union Anishinaabe Theatre.
Gillam joined the NDSU faculty in 2009. She is a former Faculty Senate president (2018-2019) and is the current chair of the Department of Biological Sciences’ Promotion, Tenure and Evaluation Committee.
She was nominated by the Faculty Success Committee on behalf of the Department of Biological Sciences faculty. The group includes Lisa Montplaisir, professor; Ned Dochtermann, associate professor; Britt Heidinger, associate professor; Angie Hodgson, professor of practice; Jenni Momsen, professor; and Sarah Signor, assistant professor.
“Dr. Gillam’s research focuses on understanding the evolutionary factors that influence the structure of animal communication signals. Known across North Dakota as ‘The Bat Lady,’ her research on bats is currently supported by four grants totaling over $1 million,” the committee said. “She is an outstanding collaborator, partnering with Tribal Colleges and primarily undergraduate-serving institutions in the Midwest. She has over 45 publications to date, many with NDSU graduate and undergraduate students.”
Gillam’s research and many presentations in schools and at conferences have helped change the public’s perception about bats. Her research team also has supported the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in developing a bat management plan.
“It is a rarity that a researcher can change the opinions of an entire state. Through her research and presentations, outreach to North Dakota and genuine passion for bats, Dr. Erin Gillam has endeared bats to the people of North Dakota,” the committee said.
Gillam earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Maryland, College Park, and her doctorate in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She also was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Regina’s Department of Biology.
William Nganje, professor and chair of agribusiness and applied economics, and Julie Garden-Robinson, professor of health, nutrition and exercise sciences and Extension specialist, also were nominated for the honor. As finalists, they will receive an honorarium and be recognized at the Phi Kappa Phi Faculty Lecture.
Previous recipients include:
Year Honoree
2021-2022 William Wilson
2021-2022 Mukund Sibi
2020-2021 Tom DeSutter
2020-2021 Kalpana Katti
2019-2020 Stephenson Beck
2018-2019 Clay Routledge
2017-2018 Joel Caton
2016-2017 Michael Strand
2015-2016 Michael Robinson
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