About Dr. Al Dufty
Al grew up on Grippen Hill in Vestal, New York, where he was president and valedictorian of his high school class and an outstanding athlete. He attended Princeton University where he earned a degree in biology while playing baseball and basketball, serving as captain of the nationally ranked basketball team in his senior year. After a year of professional basketball in Europe, Al returned to the United States to pursue graduate study, earning M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biological sciences from the State University of New York (Binghamton). Al joined the Boise State University biology faculty in 1988, became a full professor in 1996, and was appointed Associate Dean of the Graduate College in 2005. Among his many scholarly achievements are more than 60 published papers, appointment as Fellow of the American Ornithologists’ Union, and numerous awards, including the Boise State University Foundation Scholar Award for research. Beyond these professional accomplishments, Al’s memory endures at the university because of his devotion to students. In his roles as professor of biological sciences and Associate Dean of the Graduate College, Al was particularly supportive of students as they prepared their results for presentation at professional meetings. Al believed strongly that graduate students need to experience the national stage to aid in their development as researchers and academicians, and to help build the scholarly reputation of the university. It is this deeply held belief that inspired the creation of the award named in his honor.