May 6, 2003
Contact: Barry Donahue (509-963-1440/fax 509-963-1206/e-mail: donahue@cwu.edu)
ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Dr. Paul James, a Central Washington
University biological sciences professor, who has been called an
“extremely productive scholar” with “the reputation among both students
and peers as an excellent teacher,” has been named the 2002-2003
“Scholar of the Year” by the university chapter of Phi Kappa Phi (PKP).
In conjunction with his selection, James will lead a free,
public presentation, titled “Underwater Voyeurism: The Confessions of a
Fish Watcher,” Monday, May 19 at 4 p.m. in Science Building 147, during
which he will officially receive the prestigious PKP honor.
“Dr. James has received numerous grants, totaling well over
$500,000, and has collaborated with many local, regional and national
agencies,” Dr. Barry Donahue, Central’s PKP president, says. “I
especially wish to encourage all university faculty, staff and students
to attend in order to honor one of the university’s fine scholars and
teachers.”
James received his bachelor’s degree in biology in 1981 from
the University of Kansas, a master’s degree in biology in 1983 from
Southwest Missouri State University and his Ph.D. in zoology from
Oklahoma State University in 1989.
He’s currently involved in a project to study the population
dynamics of bull trout within the Yakima River basin, where they are
found in the mainstream Yakima and Naches Rivers as well as in
irrigation storage reservoirs.
“The project’s objectives are to understand why some
populations found in irrigation storage reservoirs seem to be healthy
and have relatively high numbers of spawning adults while other
populations have very few adults,” James says.
In addition to studying the population dynamics of this species, James
admits to being interested in learning more about their strong sense of
homing back to historical spawning areas.
“The strong homing ability of these fish along with their
isolation due to impassable dams makes each of the smaller demes (a
local population of closely-related, interbreeding fish) vulnerable to
extinction,” James adds.
The CWU PKP Scholar of the Year Award is presented annually
to a faculty member who has made exceptional contributions to his or
her own scholarly field, demonstrated excellence in teaching and shared
knowledge with colleagues and the public.
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is the oldest and largest
national honor society that recognizes and promotes superior
scholarship in all academic disciplines in higher education.
The CWU chapter was established in 1976 to recognize and
encourage superior scholarship in all academic disciplines at Central.
CWU juniors who are scholastically in the top 7 percent of their class,
or seniors who are scholastically in the upper 10 percent of their
class are eligible for PKP membership.
In addition, a limited number of faculty and alumni who have
achieved scholarly distinction are invited to become members.
For more information about James’ presentation, or for
persons of disability to arrange for reasonable accommodation, call
(509) 963-1440, or (for the hearing impaired) TDD (509) 963-2143.
