About

Dr. William Conner is currently a Professor Emeritus at Clemson University’s Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science. His research interests include freshwater and saltwater forested wetlands; wetland management; wetland creation and restoration; effects of man and nature on natural environments; dendrochronology; wetlands for wastewater treatment, estuarine/upland connections; changing land-use impacts on natural systems; and historical ecology. He has been involved in forested wetland research for over 50 years and continues to do research throughout the South. William began his education with a B.S. in biology at Virginia Tech (1973); obtained his M.S. in marine science at LSU (1976); completed his Ph.D. in Forestry at LSU (1988).  He is an internationally recognized forested wetland scientist known for his ecological work to save and restore wetland forests throughout the South. He served on the Louisiana Governor’s Coastal Wetland Forest Conservation and Use Science Working Group.  He has been the major professor for seven Ph.D. students, four M.S. students and served on 23 other student committees. He has authored or edited 2 books, 1 special issue of Wetland Ecology and Management, 14 book chapters, over 100 refereed journal papers, and 79 other scientific papers and reports. He has given over 300 presentations as presenter or co-author at local, national, and international meetings.  William was selected as a Fellow in the Society of Wetland Scientists in 2007 and in the Clemson University Institute for Parks in 2012.  He won Clemson University’s Highest Agricultural Honor, the Godley-Snell Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research in 2010, the same year he was selected as LSU’s School of Renewable Natural Resources Alumnus of the Year.  In 2013, he was presented with the Society of Wetland Scientists President’s Service Award. Clemson’s Natural Resources Graduate Students Association selected him as Teacher of the Year in 2016.  In 2020 he was selected to receive the  Society of Wetland Scientists 40^th Anniversary Award.