Justen Whittall Recognized by the College of Arts and Sciences
Professor Joseph Bayma, S.J., Scholarship Award
In recognition of having established among colleagues and students a well-deserved reputation for productive, meaningful, and rigorous scholarly or creative work, and for having demonstrated the ability to motivate other scholars or artists, teachers, and learners.
Biology Professor Justen Whittall’s colleagues describe him as a phenomenal scholar, an excellent collaborator, incredibly thoughtful and generous with his time, a wonderful colleague, researcher and mentor.
They note his unwavering passion for nature, commitment to advancing science, and dedication to nurturing undergraduate researchers. Yes, he publishes often—nearly always with undergraduate co-authors—writes successful grants for external funding, and is regarded as a leader in his field. But those accolades don’t tell the full story.
Justen's skills and expertise are varied in ways not often encountered in science. His work spans topics from the intricate coloration patterns of flowers or the evolution of genome size in insects, to the microbiome of athletes, and the teaching of tree diversity. He conducts field research, probes genetic diversity with high tech methodologies, assembles phylogenetic trees, and pursues mechanisms to save endangered native plants, to name a few!
He’s also a wonderful mentor to students, in part because he doesn’t make anything easy for them. He draws out their active engagement and participation, and demands that they be true partners in the research process. A former student shared that “Dr. Whittall’s innate curiosity and passion for going out in the field and getting his hands dirty were always apparent and were a huge motivating force.”
Justen’s contributions have profoundly enriched our understanding of a variety of biological phenomena and elevated our collective research endeavors.
Congratulations to Justen Whittall, winner of the 2024 Professor Joseph Bayma, S.J. Scholarship Award.