John Cairns, Jr., Ph.D.

Recruitment and Screening Panel

Dr. Cairns is the University Distinguished Professor of Environmental Biology Emeritus in the Department of Biology and Director Emeritus in the University Center for Environmental and Hazardous Materials Studies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He received his PhD and MS from the University of Pennsylvania, an AB from Swarthmore College, and completed a postdoctoral course in isotope methodology at Hahnemann Medical College, Philadelphia. He was Curator of Limnology at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia for 18 years, and has taught at various universities and field stations. Professional certifications include Qualified Fishery Administrator by the American Fisheries Society, Senior Ecologist by the Ecological Society of America, and the Academy of Board Certified Environmental Professionals. Among his honors are Member, National Academy of Sciences; Member, American Philosophical Society; Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science; Foreign Member, Linnean Society of London; the Founder's Award of the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; the United Nations Environmental Programme Medal; Fellow, Association for Women in Science; U.S. Presidential Commendation for Environmental Activities; the Icko Iben Award for Interdisciplinary Activities from the American Water Resources Association; Phi Beta Kappa; the B. Y. Morrison Medal (awarded at the Pacific Rim Conference of the American Chemical Society); Distinguished Service Award, American Institute of Biological Sciences; Superior Achievement Award, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency; the Charles B. Dudley Award for excellence in publications from the American Society for Testing and Materials; the Life Achievement Award in Science from the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Science Museum of Virginia; the American Fisheries Society Award of Excellence; Doctor of Science, State University of New York at Binghamton; Fellow, Virginia Academy of Sciences; Fellow, Eco-Ethics International Union; Twentieth Century Distinguished Service Award, Ninth Lukacs Symposium. Cairns has served as both vice president and president of the American Microscopical Society, has served on 18 National Research Council committees, two as chair, is presently serving on 14 editorial boards, and has served on the Science Advisory Board of the International Joint Commission (U.S. and Canada) and on the USEPA Science Advisory Board.