Howard Professor of Zoology and Natural History of the Department of Biology
Of the nine species of bats that occur in Vermont, only two were of conservation concern prior to the 21st century. By the winter of 2007-2008, white-nosed syndrome had spread into Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut and killed somewhere on the order of 600,000 bats. White-nosed syndrome continues to spread and has now been verified in nine states. It may have resulted in the death of as many as 2.5 million bats in the northeastern United States. Professor Kilpatrick presented the current knowledge of the cause of white-nose syndrome along with ongoing research and survey work to assess the impact of this emerging condition and other threats to Vermont bat populations.
The Dean’s Lecture Series was established in 1991 as a way to recognize and honor colleagues in the College of Arts and Sciences who have consistently demonstrated the ability to translate their professional knowledge and skill into exciting classroom experiences for their students-faculty who meet the challenge of being both excellent teachers and highly respected professionals in their own disciplines. The Award is a celebration of the unusually high quality of our faculty and has become an important and treasured event each semester.