BUFFALO, NY - Professor Sara R. Morris, PhD, led the academic procession during commencement ceremonies in May, an honor reserved solely for the Kenneth L. Koessler Distinguished Faculty Award recipient. The award, presented by the Alumni Association, recognizes a faculty member for teaching excellence and outstanding contributions to the academic world.
A veteran of the Biology Department, Morris came to Canisius in 1996 and is an esteemed educator, mentor and scholar. Her impassioned classroom presentations engage students fully but it’s the vast outdoors that serves as Morris’ real classroom. A field biologist at heart, Morris’ scholarly work centers on bird migration. She travels with students to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands to study stopover ecology and demonstrate to her young research assistants how they can make meaningful contributions to science.
Morris played a pivotal role in redesigning the Biology Department’s curriculum, as well as the college’s new core curriculum. The work prepared Morris for her most recent role as associate vice president for academic affairs, a position she assumed in fall 2015.
