OBITUARY: ERICH H. FOLLMANN (1943-2010)

[Erich H. Follmann] joined the UAF Department of Biology, Fisheries and Wildlife in 1985 and became a tenured faculty member in 1989, with a quarter-time appointment in IAB. He especially enjoyed teaching and advising undergraduates at UAF. He also took great pride in the accomplishments of the master's and doctoral candidates whom he mentored at UAF. Erich's strong sense of integrity, scientific background, and consulting experience complemented his easy-going personality and sincerity to make him an ideal mentor, particularly for those intimidated by the academic environment. He cared deeply about the well-being of students in their journey to becoming scientists and helped them maintain a good perspective on balance of career and life. Former students commonly developed a lifelong friendship with Erich, and many continued professional collaboration with him after moving into positions with natural resource agencies. Erich's personal research focused on northern wildlife of particular interest to Alaska Natives, especially the arctic fox and polar bears. He was concerned with the denning habits of grizzly and polar bears and the subsistence use of whales. Because of the practical nature of his work, Erich was an important ambassador for UAF among the people of northern Alaska. He was honored to work with the subsistence hunters in Barrow and Kaktovik and appreciated the knowledge of the Arctic they shared with him.