On March 4, Thomas Kunz, the director of Boston University’s Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology, was recognized as the sixth William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor, BU’s highest faculty honor. For 45 years, Kunz has been researching bats, recently making headlines for his prediction of the possible extinction of the little brown bat, the most common bat species in North America. In an email interview with The Daily Free Press, Kunz spoke about his passion for bats and his research at BU.
DFP: What’s your reaction to being named a Warren Distinguished Professor?
Kunz: I am truly humbled and honored by this recognition. Any recognition that I may receive from this award as researcher and teacher are shared with my undergraduate students, graduate students, post-docs and colleagues—for this is where I draw my enthusiasm and inspiration.
DFP: What was the most important accomplishment of your career?
Kunz: Two of my proudest administrative accomplishments as director of CECB [have] been the establishment of a semester-long Tropical Ecology Program in Ecuador and being the co-founder of the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the lowland rainforest of eastern Ecuador. . .As for my research over the past 40 years at BU, I have focused on the ecology, physiology, behavior, evolution and conservation biology of bats. Over the years, I have encouraged and practiced cross-disciplinary research, both with my students and colleagues. It has been my experience that new ideas and new discoveries emerge when research is conducted within and at the boundaries of ones own specific discipline—and reaching out to others who share this vision.
DFP: What have you been working on recently?
Kunz: Most recently, some of my most productive and enjoyable research discoveries have resulted from collaborations with other colleagues trained in evolutionary biology, microbiology, physiology, animal behavior, geography, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, physics, atmospheric science, mathematics, statistics, and political science, which has made it possible to explore where, when, how and why bats exploit the aerosphere—the thin stratum of the lower atmosphere where life exists. This understudied, circumglobal environment influences how humans and other creatures on earth interact with each another on multiple temporal and spatial scales. In 2008, I proposed a new concept of ecology—termed “aeroecology.” This emerging discipline embraces the separate disciplines named above in a manner that draws upon interest, technological developments, empirical studies and theory.
DFP: After 45 years in this field, people have begun calling you “bat man.” Why did you become interested in these winged mammals in the first place?
Kunz: I am proud of this title, largely because it gives me the opportunity to tout the value of these often misunderstood and unappreciated animals to others. Although bats are maligned in some cultures, bats are ecologically and economically important to humankind. Among the over 1,230 living species bats, many species suppress insect populations, including pests of agriculture and forestry; others pollinate flowers of economically important plants; while other eat fruit and disperse seeds to help maintain ecosystem diversity. To address many unanswered questions about bats, I have worked closely with colleagues both within and outside of BU.
DFP: What is your favorite part of teaching and working with the students at BU?
Kunz: Witnessing their intellectual growth and sharing their enthusiasm for learning!
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