St. Edward’s University Selects Dean of School of Natural Sciences

St. Edward’s University is pleased to announce that Charles J. Bicak has been appointed dean of the School of Natural Sciences and began the new position in July. Bicak has 22 years of experience teaching biology and related natural sciences, including 13 years at the University of Nebraska–Kearney and 9 years at California State University, Bakersfield. He has been recognized for excellence in teaching and has been the recipient of numerous grants.

As a native Nebraskan, Bicak developed an interest in rangeland conditions and prairie quality. His interest in grassland ecology increased as he worked in the central and western parts of the country, especially in the Great Plains. In fact, he is a founding member of the Iain Nicholson Audubon Center Stewardship Board, dedicated to education and research about birds and the ecology of the region. Now living in a new part of the country, Bicak looks forward to learning more about the ecological dynamics of the Texas Hill Country.

Bicak has written and lectured extensively about his interests. Among his publications are many articles in journals and books such as Great Plains Ecology, Culture and Economics; The Prairie Atlas; The Loess Hills Prairies of Central Nebraska; Discovering Connections within the History, Methods and Applications of Sciences; and The Platte River: An Atlas of the Big Bend Region.

He received a Teaching Excellence Award in 1997 from the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce and was the second recipient of the Leland Holdt/Security Mutual Life Distinguished Faculty Award in 1998 for demonstrated excellence in teaching research and service. He has won numerous grants totaling almost $600,000.

Bicak earned a PhD in Range Science from Colorado State University (1982), and an MS in Plant Science from the University of British Columbia (1978).

About the School of Natural Sciences: The school offers baccalaureate programs in Biochemistry, Biology, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Forensic Chemistry, Computer Information Science, Computer Science, Environmental Chemistry and Mathematics. In collaboration with the School of Education, it also offers degree programs for teacher certification.

Founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross, St. Edward’s University has been named as one of America’s Best Colleges for 2006 by U.S. News & World Report and was selected by The Princeton Review for inclusion in the guide Colleges with a Conscience.
St. Edward’s is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university of more than 4,900 students located in Austin, Texas.

# # #