TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Dr. William Dressler, professor of social work and anthropology at The University of Alabama, has been selected as the recipient of this year’s Burnum Distinguished Faculty Award. Dressler was presented with the award during a ceremony, Monday, March 4.

Established by Dr. and Mrs. John F. Burnum of Tuscaloosa to recognize and promote excellence in research, scholarship, and teaching, the award is one of the highest honors The University of Alabama bestows on its faculty. It is presented annually to a professor who is judged by a faculty selection committee to have demonstrated superior scholarly or artistic achievements and profound dedication to the art of teaching.

Dressler, who holds a joint appointment in UA’s School of Social Work and the department of anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been a member of the UA faculty since 1978. He joined the University as an assistant professor of behavioral science in the College of Community Health Sciences. In 1990 he was promoted to professor of behavioral and community medicine, and in 1996 he was named to his current joint professorship. Additionally, Dressler has served as an honorary research fellow at the University of Exeter in Devon, England.

Dressler’s academic specialty in medical anthropology has been recognized internationally, and he is considered a leading authority on social epidemiology. He has conducted community-based research in such diverse settings as urban Great Britain, the southeastern United States, the West Indies, Mexico, Brazil and Samoa.

He is known internationally for his research on social and dietary factors in cardiovascular disease risk. Dressler recently received a three-year National Science Foundation grant to study cultural dimensions of cardiovascular disease risk in Brazil.

Renowned for his excellence in research methodology, Dressler pioneered new techniques for operationalizing the concept of psychosocial stress. These techniques have found their way into the mainstream of modern research on stress and health.

“I am deeply honored to have been selected for this award,” said Dressler. “My research has always been an intrinsic motivation in my career, but to be recognized by the community of scholars at the University for that research is profoundly gratifying, especially because of the rich and stimulating intellectual environment provided by that community of scholars.”

“Bill’s research collaboration with physical and cultural anthropologists, sociologists, social workers, physicians and other professionals is a testament to his scholarly versatility,” said Dr. Vernon Knight, chair of the UA department of anthropology.

Dressler's social work colleagues noted not only his scholarly work, but also his impact on students.

“It was especially gratifying for me when Dr. Dressler joined the social work faculty. I knew first hand the leadership he would provide to the school, especially in the area of research,” said Dr. Ike Adams, dean of the School of Social Work.

Dr. Lucinda Roff, social work professor and former dean of the School of Social Work, agreed with Adams on Dressler's impact on their school. “There is no doubt in my mind that his presence in our Ph.D. program has added to the program’s strength and quality. Students describe him as extraordinarily knowledgeable and articulate, challenging, fair and accessible to them for individual consultation,” she added.

Dressler has served as principal investigator on over $1 million in research grants from federal agencies that include the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Dressler has published 59 refereed journal articles, 14 book chapters, and three books and monographs. He also is a reviewer for the National Science Foundation, the National Institute for Mental Health, and 14 social sciences and medical journals.

He currently serves as president of the Society for Medical Anthropology and is a past recipient of the American Anthropological Association’s Stirling Award, the highest recognition in the field of psychological anthropology.