Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental Science and Technology - William Bowerman is the recipient of the Western Michigan University College of Arts and Sciences 2016 Alumni Achievement Award, the honor presented for remarkable contributions to society.
As part of the award event, Bowerman presented a seminar entitled “Words of encouragement: how a single encounter with a Professor launched a 32 years flight with eagles”. Bowerman has been studying bald eagle ecology and the effects of environmental pollutants in the Great Lakes region since 1984. Recently, he has collaborated in Sweden, Russia, Uganda, and South Africa on projects with white-tailed sea eagles, Steller’s sea eagles, and African fish-eagles.
Bowerman was on the Faculty of Clemson University from 1999-2011, served as the Faculty Senate President, and is a Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Environmental Toxicology. He received a B.A. in biology from Western Michigan University, a M.A. in biology from Northern Michigan University, and a Ph.D. in sheries and wildlife-environmental toxicology from Michigan State University.
He has published over 80 peer-reviewed papers and has received grants totaling over $6 million, which funded 7 Ph.D. graduates, 28 M.S. graduates, 5 post-docs, 2 Fulbrights, and 1 U.N. Scholar.
Bowerman's accomplishments include earning the Distinguished Alumni Award, and Outstanding Young Alumni Award, Northern Michigan University; the Regional Forester’s Honor Award, Eastern Region, U.S. Forest Service; the Bald Eagle Person of the Year Award and Bald Eagle Research Award, ‑e Eagle Foundation; and selection to the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
