George A. Bartholomew's Contributions to Integrative and Comparative Biology

Abstract

The Bartholomew Award has now completed a decade of recognizing outstanding young investigators in comparative physiology and biochemistry or in related fields of functional and integrative biology. It honors Professor George A. Bartholomew (Bart to his many students and other friends), whose research contributions continue to be important in shaping these fields. Bart's influence reflects a steadfast adherence to a set of basic precepts: the inherent unity of biology; the need for an evolutionary perspective in functional studies; the value of modern natural history in guiding research investigations; the focus on the organism and its function in nature, even in highly reductionist studies; the importance of biological variability within and between species; and the crucial interactions of physiology and behavior in allowing animals to deal with environmental challenges. Were he to have done nothing else in his career, he would remain an important figure in the fields with which the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology's (SICB) Division of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry is concerned. However, his influence is also felt through his inspirational performance as an undergraduate teacher, his skill and wisdom as a graduate mentor, his many services to the University of California, his insightful contributions to scientific committees and policy boards at the national level, and his presidency of the American Society of Zoologists (now SICB). This symposium offers the opportunity for honoring Bart for all his accomplishments and fine personal qualities, while illustrating the contributions of the impressive set of younger investigators who are recipients of the George A. Bartholomew Award.