Distinguished Achievement in Natural Sciences

Tracy L. Galarowicz ’91

Tracy Galarowicz has used her St. Norbert College degree in biology as a springboard to a distinguished career as a scientist and educator.

As professor and chair in the biology department at Central Michigan University, Dr. Galarowicz functions, as one admiring colleague notes, “at the very highest level of performance and professionalism.”

Her excellence in the classroom has earned Tracy not only the Outstanding Teaching Award in CMU’s College of Science and Technology, but also, in 2010, a university-wide Excellence in Teaching Award.

During her distinguished career at CMU, which saw her named a full professor in 2012, Tracy has taught 12 different courses in biology, mentored dozens of graduate and undergraduate students, served on the honors faculty, and earned a reputation for tirelessness in making herself available to her students.

Her commitment to the institution itself has been similarly impressive. Tracy has served on nearly 20 committees, from the university’s strategic planning team to its graduate student research committee. The former chair of the biology department notes that her organization and attention to detail are “unparalleled.”

Dr. Galarowicz has also excelled as a research scientist. Her work studying several species of game fish in the Great Lakes has brought in over a half-million dollars in grants to her university. She has had 16 peer-reviewed scientific publications in the field, has presented at dozens of scientific conferences, served on numerous committees of the American Fisheries Society, and was associate editor of that organization’s scientific journal. She also serves as scientific representative to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Apparently indefatigable, Tracy also sits on the board of directors of the Chippewa Nature Center, is a champion of diversity and inclusivity, leads community events on science, and is a mother of two children.

Professionally accomplished and deeply engaged in both her on-campus and off-campus communities, Tracy is an outstanding representative of her alma mater. A colleague’s remark about what informs her efforts ­– “Her values permeate all aspects of her life” – further distinguishes her as a true daughter of St. Norbert College, and a richly deserving recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award in Natural Sciences.