Scholarship Paves Way for Bat Biologists and Better Understanding of Michigan Bats
4/16/2012
Michigan Critter Catchers offers bat conservation scholarship opportunity to college students studying Michigan’s bat population.
Terre Haute, Ind. — Flying squirrels might think otherwise, but the only true flying mammals on the planet are bats. Nocturnal and rarely noticed in the twilight skies but unmistakable when sharing an attic with their cohabitant human homeowners, bats are shrouded in myths and hounded by misconceptions. The Indiana State University Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation is shedding light on bats and educating college students pursuing careers in biology, and Michigan Critter Catchers is lending a hand.
Marking the continuation of a scholarship first offered in 2007, Critter Catchers president Dave Kugler renewed the company’s commitment in 2012. Administered by the Indiana State University Foundation, the $1,000 “Critter Catchers, Inc. Bat Conservation Scholarship” is available to full time students at Indiana State University or any university located in Michigan. The student must be working on a project applicable to Michigan’s bat population, as the scholarship is offered to further the knowledge base of Michigan’s bats.
“Renewing the ‘Critter Catchers, Inc. Bat Conservation Scholarship’ enables the next generation of biologists to focus their energies on academic endeavors,” said Kugler. “Bats are amazing creatures that we are only beginning to understand, and this scholarship is meant to foster additional studies of the bat population found in the Great Lakes State.”
“Bat biology has been a focus of personal study for the past 25 years, and it’s safe to say that bats are still providing new lessons for me, said John Whitaker Jr., Professor of Biology and Director of the ISU Bata Center. “The Indiana State University Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation is a collaboration of scientists in many states, and this scholarship opportunity from Critter Catchers supports our mission.”
Learn more about the “Critter Catchers, Inc. Bat Conservation Scholarship” by contacting the Indiana State University Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation at: (812) 237-2808.
About Critter Catchers, Inc.: Founded in 2005, the Ortonville, Michigan based Critter Catchers, Inc. was formed by David Kugler, an Oakland University graduate holding a Bachelors of Science in Biology, and a Masters Degree in Environmental Engineering from Wayne State University. Critter Catchers provides animal removal services in SE Michigan and specializes in humane bat removal.
About the Indiana State University Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation — Founded in 2005, the Bat Center’s mission is to conduct and encourage research on North American bats, by collaborating with students and other scientists, and to make findings available to the scientific community and the public through technical and popular publications, teaching and outreach programs.
Contact:
Brianne Walters
(812) 237-2808
Assistant Director - Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation, Indiana State University