Burns-Shirling Award

Dr. George W. Burns was professor in Botany-Microbiology from 1946 until his retirement in 1979. He came to Ohio Wesleyan after serving as a Naval Meteorologist during World War II. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Dr. Burns received an AB from the University of Cincinnati. He did his graduate work in Botany at the University of Minnesota, receiving a PhD in 1941. Dr. Burns was a very popular professor in botany over the years, with many friends among the alumni. During his career he served as Acting Vice President and Dean and then went on to serve as Acting President during difficult times of transition at Ohio Wesleyan. Dr. Burns’ research took him to Alaska to study botanical indicators of glacial retreat. He worked with geologists at The Ohio State University on some of the first studies of climate change in North America. As genetics began evolving in the college curriculum, he developed courses at OWU that resulted in a textbook “The Science of Genetics” that went on to be published in 6 editions. He was a very accomplished scientist, teacher, meteorologist, ham radio operator and, most of all, a great friend to all whose lives he touched. George Burns died in April of 1994 after a long bout with cancer.

Dr. Elwood B. Shirling came to OWU in 1953 and retired in 1979. He received a B.S. from Kansas City Teachers College in 1935 and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1953. He, like Dr. Burns, was one of OWU’s greatest teachers, receiving the Bishop Welch Meritorious Teaching Award. Additionally, he was the recipient of the Distinguished Carski teaching award from the American Society for Microbiology. Dr. Shirling was a active researcher and a very skilled microbiologist. He was coordinator and Director of the International Streptomyces Project (an international cooperative research program involving the collaboration of more than 40 scientists from 20 nations that categorized and cataloged bacterial species and strains that became so important in medicine as antibiotic producing microbes). He was an important consultant to drug companies who were patenting antibiotics in the 1960s and 70s. Dr. Shirling is remembered by Alumni as an excellent teacher, mentor and friend. He started many microbiologists on to bright careers, for which they remain eternally grateful. He continues to enjoy a very happy retirement in Colorado, maintaining his home near Estes Park on the Continental Divide. The Burns-Shirling Award is generated annually from an endowed account that Alumni and friends established in 1979 when these two distinguished professors retired.