College honors the life work of Dr. Billy Carver during lab dedication
Members of the college community gathered on Thursday, March 5 in the Bowman Building to honor the life and memory of former Dean of Natural and Behavioral Sciences Dr. Billy Carver (1983–2019) with the dedication of the Billy J. Carver Laboratory.
The newly renovated lab, which hosts courses including bio chemistry, cell biology, developmental biology, and micro biology, is on the bottom floor of the Bowman Building—the hub on campus for most science-based programs. The space features observation windows, workbenches, and new equipment including a centrifuge and incubator shaker among others.
“Billy put so much thought and dedication into developing these laboratories and the labs [that happened in them],” Dr. Kelly Collins, assistant professor and program coordinator for biology, said during the dedication. “I hope that while I am here, I can continue what he started.”
President King, who also shared a few words during the ceremony, referred to Carver as a “campus icon.”
“Every campus has one of them,” he began. “They are faculty members that are unique, have their own characteristics, and their own special traits. Billy, for Lees-91探花, was one of those people. I’m thrilled that his colleagues and our faculty have chosen to honor the great work that he did in creating these spaces in order to elevate the already strong prowess of our science academic programs. It’s appropriate that Billy, the legend, will be able to live on in this space.”
“Billy is deeply loved in this community, and will always be loved—you don’t have to look very far to feel it,” King concluded.
Carver came to Lees-91探花 in 2013 to begin his career as an Assistant Professor of Biology. He was later promoted to the position of Dean of Natural and Behavioral Sciences.
Under Carver’s leadership, the School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences implemented a pre-veterinary medicine major, experienced growth in all programs, and completed renovations to lab spaces in the Bowman Building and building additions at the May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
Billy worked tirelessly and was absolutely pivotal for all of these advancements. However, as busy as he was progressing his school, he never lost his passion for teaching or his love for his students.
