Our Crowdfunding Groups
Help us honor the legacy of Dr. James Wick, whose remarkable contributions over his twenty-two years as Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Northern Arizona State University have left an indelible mark. Together, we are working to establish an endowed fund for the annual James R. Wick Memorial Lecture Series, celebrating his dedication to education, mentorship, and research.
Dr. Wick's influence shaped the futures of countless undergraduates and young faculty, guided the department through its transition to awarding doctoral degrees, and laid the foundation for a thriving research community at NAU.
Join us in commemorating his impactful career and ensuring his passion for biological sciences continues to inspire future generations.
Impact of Professor James Wick
Captured from emeritus faculty and in A History of the Department of Biological Sciences at Northern Arizona University by Professor Lee Drickamer, and An Oral History Interview with James Wick by Professor Monte Poen, Wick was an extremely farsighted, insightful, clever, collaborative effective builder of the Department of Biological Sciences and driver of the department’s growth. During this tenure, department faculty increased in number and diversity, thesis Masters and Ph.D. programs were initiated, and he was instrumental in the development of NAU’s Cline library.
Having negotiated the department’s first electron microscope, Wick promoted contract research and was a proponent of junior faculty research. Under Wick’s leadership and promotion, the NAU Master of Teaching program gained national prominence, and his efforts led to the establishment of a local chapter of the Society of Sigma Xi, a national scientific honorary society, at NAU.
Wick’s clear vision and political understanding of how to accomplish big things are inspiring, leading biology graduates to establish an endowment honoring his many accomplishments and never-ending support of biology at NAU.
About the James R. Wick Memorial Lectures
The annual James R. Wick Memorial Lecture in the Department of Biological Sciences at NAU invites biological scientists of professional and national prominence to come to NAU’s Flagstaff Mountain Campus and present a seminar on their area of expertise.
Open to all campus and community members, the seminar engages students, faculty, and staff in scientific discourse while providing scientific and academic enhancement to the department. The seminar provides an opportunity for the department to display its excellence and expertise to a broader scientific community while continuing the developing prominence of the department.
By contributing to the James R. Wick Memorial Lectures, you help celebrate Wick’s commitment to academic excellence at NAU and his outstanding tenure while engaging biological scientists of professional and national prominence.
