Holy Cross Biology Professor Given Prestigious Science Award for Work on Large-Scale California Ecosystem Restoration Project

WORCESTER, Mass. – William Sobczak, assistant professor of biology at the College of the Holy Cross, was recently awarded the prestigious Raymond L. Lindeman Award by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO). The award, presented at the ASLO’s annual meeting in Savannah, Ga. this summer, is given annually in recognition of the outstanding paper in the aquatic sciences to a young scientist under the age of 35.

Sobczak’s paper, “Bioavailability of organic matter in a highly disturbed estuary: The role of detrital and algal resources” was the central paper from his post-doctoral research position at the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, Calif. His work was funded by the CALFED San Francisco Bay-Delta Ecosystem Restoration Program, one of the largest restoration projects in the world – expected to take place over a 30 year period.

Sobczak’s research specifically examined the importance of algal and terrestrial food supplies in response to declining zooplankton and fish populations in the San Joaquin River Delta. His findings will aid the restoration’s program managers in effectively improving the health of the Bay-Delta system for its native species – which include salmon, migratory waterfowl, and a host of other plants and animals of critical importance to California.

A member of the Holy Cross faculty since 2002, Sobczak has been involved locally in a number of important ecology research projects. His freshwater ecology course is one of the College’s Community-Based Learning Courses, where students combine classroom learning with field work in the local community. Through this course, Sobczak has supervised several student projects on local freshwater ecosystems, including research on the Blackstone River National Heritage Corridor and on the impact of declines in the Eastern hemlock tree population on local stream environments. This work helps scientists and managers forecast future environmental change with regard to how environmental perturbation can alter ecosystems on a regional, national, and international level.

Sobczak earned his Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Cornell University and his M.S. in zoology from Michigan State University. He completed his undergraduate training at Bucknell University, where he majored in biology and English. Sobczak is the author of numerous publications in leading academic journals, including Ecology, Ecological Applications, Biogeochemistry, and Limnology and Oceanography.

Raised in Bel Air, Md., where he attended John Carroll High School, Sobczak currently resides in Worcester.