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Dr. Parker honored by North Georgia
Digest
Extra
A
plaque at the entrance to a 62-acre tract of land owned by North Georgia
College & State University will recognize the contributions made by biology
Professor James Parker during his 30 years of teaching at North Georgia.
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| Dr. James
Parker |
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Since Hurricane Creek flows through the property and into the Etowah River,
Parker called the area “The Hurricane Creek Biological Station and Wildlife
Conservation Area,” a name it retains today. The site, managed as a wildlife
conservation area and used by the Department of Biology as an outdoor
laboratory, has been Parker’s major project over the past 6 years.
“Dr. Jim Parker has been an integral component of North Georgia for 30
years,” said Vice President for Academic Affairs Linda Roberts-Betsch, who
said that Parker has been named Professor Emeritus since his retirement.
“His colleagues in biology, as well as his many students, other faculty and
administrators of the university will miss his presence on campus and his
many contributions to North Georgia,” Roberts-Betsch said. “We want to
recognize his extraordinary service by placing a plaque in his honor at
Hurricane Creek, so that future generations of students, faculty and
researchers will know of his contributions to this great outdoor
laboratory.”
To develop the isolated component of the Pine Valley property off of Highway
9, Parker obtained funding from two grants with the department of Natural
Resources, several grants through the School of Health and Natural Sciences,
and from university funds. In addition, a number of community businesses
provided discounts for materials and equipment. Parker and his wildlife
biology classes provided most of the labor, with additional assistance
provided by volunteer students, faculty, and students in the Post-Secondary
Readiness Enrichment Program. It is estimated that more than $70,000 of
value has gone into the development of the site, thanks to Parker’s
efforts.
The area contains improvements and facilities all planned and designed by
Parker. These include a small parking area, roofed bulletin board, restroom
facility, storage house, and an outdoor classroom shelter that seats 24
students. There are over two miles of hiking trails that have been
established for wildlife viewing and access. About 100 nest boxes for birds,
squirrels, and owls have been erected, along with brush piles and small
clearings in the forest to make the area more attractive to wildlife.
Records of the flora and fauna have been compiled, water quality monitoring
of the river and creek has been conducted, and activities were conducted to
improve wildlife habitat.
“The area is becoming an important field resource for the biology department
and it should prove valuable to many generations of students, especially now
that the department is promoting student research as an integral part of its
curriculum,” Parker said, adding that even in retirement he plans to
continue his service as the director of the site.
Parker, who grew up in Rome, Ga., and now lives in Dawsonville, retired Aug.
1 after his service to NGCSU teaching 14 different courses and supervising
numerous student independent-study projects. He taught classes in human
anatomy and physiology, medical microbiology: infection and immunity,
medical parasitology, human histology, and wildlife biology and
conservation. During his career, he taught a total of 37 years.
Parker attended the Rome city schools. He received the Eagle Award, the
highest award in the Boy Scouts, in 1957 under the leadership of Scoutmaster
Joseph C. Gittings, Troop 28. After graduating from West Rome High School in
1961, he attended Shorter College and received his bachelor’s of arts degree
with a major in biology in 1965.
He then continued his graduate education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute &
State University, where he was a Title IV National Defense Education Act
fellow for three years and Graduate Teaching Assistant for three years. He
received the Ph. D. degree at that university in 1971, with his dissertation
titled “Protozoan, Helminth, and Arthropod Parasites of the Gray Squirrel in
Southwestern Virginia.” Dr. Rhodes B. Holliman was chairman of his graduate
committee.
In the summer of 1966 Parker studied mammalogy at the University of
Virginia’s Mountain Lake Biological Station under Dr. Charles O. Handley, Jr,
curator of mammals, Smithsonian Institution.
From 1971-1973 he was engaged in post doctorial studies in microbiology and
was instructor at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, where he
worked with Dr. Clifford Nelson on intestinal flagellates and amebic
meningoencephalitis. From 1973-1975 he was assistant professor of biology
at Guilford College, where he taught general zoology, cell biology,
microbiology and parasitology.
In 1975 Parker began work with the biology department at NGCSU as assistant
professor of biology and advanced through the ranks to full professor.
Parker has held membership in a number of honorary and professional
societies, including the Beta Beta Beta Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi Honor
Society, Sigma Xi and Phi Sigma Research Honor Societies, the American
Society of Parasitologists, American Society of Mammalogists, American
Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Society of Protozoologists,
Association of Southeastern Biologists, Wildlife Society, Helminthological
Society of Washington, and the Georgia Academy of Science. Also, the
nematode species Pterygodermatites parkeri was named in his honor in
1970.
Dr. Parker is married to the former Mary Carol Hairston and they have two
daughters, Ms. Amy C. Parker and Mrs. Carrie E. Podgurski.
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