Will Bleier, professor of biological sciences, retired earlier this month after nearly 37 years of service to NDSU. To honor Bleier, the department has scheduled a reception on Tuesday, Jan. 22, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Harry D. McGovern Alumni Center. A program will begin at 4 p.m. 

Bleier earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Texas at Austin, and his master’s and doctoral degrees from Texas Tech University, Lubbock. He joined NDSU as an assistant professor in 1975. 

For the first 20 years of his career, Bleier studied reproduction in bats, principally a species in southern Arizona. Fifteen years into his career at NDSU, he began studying blackbirds. He primarily focused on methods to alleviate the conflict between blackbirds and sunflower growers. This work formed a strong collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which continues today. 

Throughout his career, he received numerous teaching awards and research grants. He has published dozens of articles and held various leadership positions including chair or head of the biological sciences department for 17 1/2 years. 

For more information, contact Phyllis Murray at 701-231-7087 or phyllis.murray@ndsu.edu.

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.