Forty years ago, May Sligh ’88 wandered across the Mary Washington campus with her classmates as Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science and Biology Michael Bass identified trees. She can still recall him pointing out the white oak (quercus alba), red maple (acer rubrum), and American sweetgum (liquidambar styraciflua) to his students.
“I knew that I had made the right choice by coming to a small school with a professor filled with the same wonder and passion for nature that I had,” said May, who has spent decades protecting water quality along the East Coast. “Dr. Bass’ kindness, ability to listen to his students, and desire to share his knowledge was unmatched. I’m forever grateful for the role he played in helping me find a career that I love.”
It often takes generations for tiny saplings to become towering trees, but in just a few years, Dr. Bass grew Mary Washington’s fledging environmental science program to one that has cultivated careers for countless alumni over the decades. After he passed away on Oct. 4, 2024, tributes poured in, from graduates who were influenced by their former professor to enter professions relating to his field, and those who appreciated the support that he and wife Heather gave the Mary Washington community.
“Dr. Bass helped plant some seeds for me to work in environmental conservation,” said Jessie Thomas-Blate ’03, a director of river restoration at American Rivers, a national nonprofit organization where she specializes in dam removal. “I wish I had the chance to talk with him about some of the big issues we’re facing today.”
Sidney Griffith Keith ’85 remembered how Dr. Bass supported her work with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and her decision to become an educator. “He told me that teaching was the best way to truly share a love of science, inquiry, and an understanding of our world and universe,” she said.
Dr. Bass held several research positions before joining the Mary Washington faculty, where he became the first chair of the Department of Environmental Science and Geology (now Earth and Environmental Sciences). He earned a Ph.D. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1976 and spent more than 45 years in the classroom at Mary Washington before retiring in 2018.
Throughout his career, Dr. Bass partnered with nearby localities on projects to monitor water quality, stream bank erosion, and the impact of construction on bodies of water like Massaponax Creek and Ni River. He also helped design retention ponds for the Central Park development in Fredericksburg. Students often contributed to his field work, which enabled them to present their findings at regional and national conferences.
Kathryn Collison Ray ’72, who was a student in the first biology course Dr. Bass taught at Mary Washington, recalled how as a young professor, he was assigned the role of class sponsor for first-year students. “He accepted the challenge and went above and beyond,” she said. “The Class of 1972 loves him for it, and he and his lovely wife, Heather, attended all of our class reunions.”
In celebration of their 50th reunion in 2022, she and her fellow graduates honored the professor with the Class of 1972 Dr. Michael Bass Scholarship, which was awarded for the first time to junior Grace Hannah Buck, an environmental geology and historic preservation major who plans to pursue a career in architectural preservation.
“Receiving this award was like someone telling me they saw my hard work and my potential and wanted to partner with me so I could achieve my educational goals here at UMW,” she said. “I’m so grateful to Dr. Bass and the donors who have made this scholarship possible for me and future students.”
UMW’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences will celebrate Dr. Bass’ life and career at Mary Washington with an open-house memorial in the Cedric Rucker University Center’s Chandler Ballroom on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 2-4 p.m. The event is free and open to all current and former members of the UMW community and the public.
For more information about the Class of 1972 Dr. Michael Bass Scholarship or other giving opportunities, please contact the Office of University Advancement at advance@umw.edu or 540-654-1024.
-Article by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04
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