Dwight Billings
Encyclopedia
William Dwight Billings (December 29, 1910, Washington, D.C.
– January 4, 1997, Durham
, North Carolina
) was an American
ecologist
. Billings was one of the foundational figures in the field of physiological ecology and made major contributions to desert and arctic ecology.
Billings served as President of the Ecological Society of America
from 1978 to 1979. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 1979. and awarded the Eminent Ecologist Award
in 1991.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
– January 4, 1997, Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ecologist
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
. Billings was one of the foundational figures in the field of physiological ecology and made major contributions to desert and arctic ecology.
Billings served as President of the Ecological Society of America
Ecological Society of America
The Ecological Society of America is a professional organization of ecological scientists. Based in the United States, ESA publishes a suite of publications, from peer-reviewed journals to newsletters, fact sheets and teaching resources. It holds an annual meeting at different locations in the...
from 1978 to 1979. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 1979. and awarded the Eminent Ecologist Award
Eminent Ecologist Award
The Eminent Ecologist Award is prize awarded annually to a senior ecologist in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the science of ecology. The prize is awarded by the Ecological Society of America. According to the statutes, the recipient may be from any country in the world. However, in...
in 1991.