College of Sciences Newsletter Edition 13 June 1, 2002 
Gene W. Hirschfeld Faculty Excellence Award Recipient for 2002 Dr. Alan H. Savitzky, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, was awarded the prestigious Gene W. Hirschfeld Faculty Excellence Award at the College of Sciences May 2002 commencement ceremony.
Colleagues write, “As a teacher, Dr. Savitzky is absolutely superb. His dedication to education has served as a model for many of his students. He encourages his students to excel by providing positive examples of professionalism, pushing them to develop their writing skills, and challenging them by focusing on critical thinking rather than rote memorization of concepts.”
He is also applauded for his outstanding service to the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, which is an international organization of about 2,400 scientists dedicated to the study of fishes, amphibians and reptiles.
The Gene W. Hirschfeld Faculty Excellence Award is bestowed on one faculty member in the College of Sciences every two years. Faculty excellence sets the standard for University excellence. As the faculty perform, so goes the reputation of the University. Dr. Gene W. Hirschfeld, the founder of the School of Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene, recognized this relationship and established an endowment that provides one award in alternate years to a faculty member from the College of Sciences and the College of Health Sciences. The recipient must have excelled in teaching and some combination of research and/or professional service and receives $1,000 from this endowment.
Savitzky came to Old Dominion in 1982 after receiving his doctorate from the University of Kansas. His research interests include the anatomy, evolution, and conservation of amphibians and reptiles, especially snakes. For additional information on Dr. Savitzky or his research, go to: http://web.odu.edu/sci/biology/savitzky.html.
Alan Savitzky in his herpetology lab with a scaleless mutant of the Texas ratsnake (Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri). It is the scaleless mutation that makes the colors vivid and the texture of the skin appear so velvety.
