THE TITLE AND DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF SCIENCE, (honoris causa) CONFERRED AT CONGREGATION MAY 28, 2007
CRAWFORD STANLEY HOLLING
More than three decades ago, a Canadian ecologist by the name of Crawford Stanley Holling introduced the notion that the ecological system is vibrant and interconnected—that it is fragile, yet resilient.
His 1973 paper on the resilience of non-linear ecological systems still stands as a major landmark in the field of Ecology.
Dr. Holling has developed pioneering methods in adaptive ecosystem management that have paved the way for modern movements in sustainability and conservation, and his leadership in both academic research and social responsibility has literally transformed the world in which we live.
An alumnus of UBC, Dr. Holling’s distinguished career includes directorship at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna and the Institute of Resource Ecology here at UBC. He was named Eminent Scholar and Arthur R. Marshall Jr. Chair in Ecological Sciences in the University of Florida’s Department of Zoology, where he retired in 1999.
The Ecological Society of America recognized Dr. Holling’s talents as early as 1966 with the Mercer Award for an outstanding paper by a young scientist, and as recently as 1999 with the Eminent Ecologist Award for outstanding contributions to the science of Ecology.
As one of the founders of the online journal Ecology and Science and of the Resilience Alliance, an international science network, Dr. Holling continues to devote his time and talent to the advancement of knowledge in ecology and evolution.
Mr. Chancellor, for his lifelong contribution to the understanding of our place in the world, I ask you to confer the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa upon Crawford Stanley Holling.