Erik J. Bitterbaum
Born: December 31, 1952
New York City, New YorkFamily: Wife: Ellen Burton (college instructor, deaf educator, and audiologist); son David, age 11; daughter Anna, age 8
Education: Attended Kalani High School, Honolulu, Hawaii, B.A. and M.A. in biology from Occidental College, Los Angles California; Sussex University, junior year abroad in England; Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Florida.
M.A. Thesis: Geographical Variation in Songs of California House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus). Major Professor: Luis F. Baptista
Ph.D. Dissertation: The Comparative Behavior of Three Species of Swallows (genus: Progne). Major Professor: John William Hardy
Career: Zoology Graduate Student Instructor at the University of Florida ( 1977-81); Assistant and Associate Professor of Biology at Nebraska Wesleyan University (1981-1990); Assistant Provost for Lifelong Learning at Nebraska Wesleyan University (1983-87); Associate Provost at Nebraska Wesleyan University (1987-1990); Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College at Methodist College, North Carolina (1990-1994); and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Biology at Missouri Southern State College (1994-2000); Campus President, West Virginia University at Parkersburg and Regional Vice President, West Virginia University (2000- )
Special Interests: Ornithology (study of birdlife); travel (studied in Mexico, the West Indies, England); writing poetry; golf; listening to music; stamp collecting
Honors & Grants: U.S. Department of Education: Grant for the development of an Upward Bound Program at Missouri Southern, 1999; Commencement speaker at the May graduation of Missouri Southern State College, 1997; First place in the Missouri Writers' Award for Poetry, 1997; U.S. Department of Education: Grant from the Title VI Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program, 1997; Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Grant to set up an interactive television network with area school districts, 1996; College membership accepted for The International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), December, 1995; Fulbright-Scholar-In -Residence: Grant to bring a Chinese Journalist, 1995-96 academic year.