Posted on September 25, 2001 at 2:25 p.m.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — James B. McClintock, Ph.D., dean of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and professor of biology, has been named the first recipient of the Polar and Marine Biology Endowed Professorship by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees.
The endowed professorship was made possible through a generous leadership gift from the Robert R. Meyer Foundation of Birmingham and is the first step in the creation of an endowed chair in polar and marine biology.
“I am honored that the board of trustees named me to the endowed professorship in polar and marine biology,” McClintock said. “Most of all, I appreciate the kind gift from the Robert R. Meyer Foundation that made this endowed professorship possible. Their support helps to make our groundbreaking work in Antarctica and other parts of the world possible.”
McClintock is an internationally recognized polar and marine biologist. He has made major contributions to the understanding of polar and marine biology and is well known for his research in marine invertebrate chemical ecology, its associated drug discovery, and for his research in marine invertebrate reproduction and nutrition.
McClintock and fellow researchers have spent several working off the coast of Antarctica studying marine invertebrates’ chemical defenses against predators. In 1999, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names honored McClintock by naming a point of land in Antarctica after him as a tribute to his contributions to exploration on Antarctica. McClintock Point is at the end of a three-mile stretch of land known as Explorers Cove.
A research team, led by both McClintock and Charles Amsler, Ph.D, an associate professor of biology at UAB, will return to Antarctica in October to Palmer Station on the Antarctic Peninsula. The research will expand on past studies of the chemical ecology of Antarctic marine organisms and will include experiments on chemical defenses in marine plants and animals. The expedition can be followed on UAB’s interactive research Web site WOW!
The Meyer Foundation is an active supporter of the four major colleges and universities in the Birmingham area and also supports other organizations, including the YMCA, the Birmingham Museum of Art and Children’s Hospital. It was founded in 1942 by Robert R. Meyer, a successful Birmingham businessman, to promote and support initiatives in health, welfare, education and youth work.