ALBANY, NY, September 07, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present John S. Mackiewicz, Ph.D., with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Mackiewicz celebrates over 60 years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field.
Dr. Mackiewicz's life has been profoundly effected by serious medical events that beset his early childhood. At the age of four (1934), he was struck by a severe, life- threatening bone infection that dislocated and destroyed both hips. The infection was especially massive because antibiotics had not yet been perfected for medical use. After four major operations and long residence in the Newington Home for Crippled Children in Newington, Connecticut (now the Connecticut Children's Medical Center, East Hartford) he was able to walk again. Extensive bone loss and dislocation, however, prevented full restoration of hip function. In 1939 he was discharged from the Newington Home to resume life with his family in Waterbury, Connecticut.
He began his advanced education at Cornell University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science (1953), Master of Science (1954) and Doctor of Philosophy (1960). Prior to obtaining his Ph.D. he held the rank of Instructor of Medical Entomology and Parasitology at Cornell (1957-1959). Under a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Institutes of Health, he continued his research from 1960 to 1961 overseas at the Institute de Zoologie in Neuchȃtel, Switzerland.
His broad interests have been in evolution and biology of parasites and the ecology and systematics of cestodes, or tapeworms as they are commonly known. His primary research has focused on the morphology, systematics, zoogeography, host-parasite relationships, biology, and evolution of the Caryophyllidea, which are intestinal non-segmented cestode parasites of freshwater fish.
Upon arriving back in the United States in 1961, Dr. Mackiewicz joined the Department of Biological Sciences at the State University of New York at Albany, where he was to remain for 56 years. In 1973 he was promoted to the rank of Distinguished Teaching Professor, thus becoming the first professor at the University at Albany to have "Distinguished" added to his rank. Though he retired from full-time instructing at Albany in 2002, he continued teaching Parasitic Diseases and Human Welfare part-time until 2017, when he retired again, finally reaching full emeritus status. In his honor, the atrium of the biology building has been converted to a lounge and named after him. A gallery of splendid nature photographs by his daughter highlights the space.
In the realm of education he has an admirable teaching record: he has taught 15 different biology courses ranging from undergraduate through to the graduate level. Many of his courses included laboratories. He supervised thesis research for 12 graduate students. He was active in departmental and university curriculum matters and administration of the medical technology program, as well as pre-health advisement. During the summers of 1964 to 1966 he taught parasitology at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station on Lake Texoma.
In the realm of scientific research Dr. Mackiewicz has been quite active. He has been author or co-author of 86 publications that include extensive reviews, monographs, keys to non-segmented tapeworms of the world and also those in North American freshwater fishes. Of special significance is the first extensive review of the cytogenetics and chromosomes of tapeworms. He has described 21 new species of tapeworms. Colleagues have named seven species of parasitic worms after him. For over 25 years he has been a Research Affiliate of the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology, University of Nebraska State Museum.
Internationally, he was in his early years at Albany an active participant or invited speaker at the 1964 to 1986 meetings of the International Congress of Parasitology. He has been an external examiner for doctoral theses from Czech Republic, India, Malaysia, and Australia. Though retired, he continues to actively collaborate with colleagues in the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Poland.
Some of his writing has been beyond his research interests. His published letters in TIME magazine, Nature Conservancy or the local newspaper have dealt with such varied topics as the God vs. Science debate, conservation issues in Africa, and same sex marriage. Fly fishing publications have also received a share of his opinions.
Throughout his career, Professor Mackiewicz has been a member of nine scientific associations that include the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Parasitologists, the Helminthological Society of Washington, the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and American Ornithologists Union. He has been honored with life membership by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Helminthological Society of Washington. Because of his wide experience he has reviewed articles for a large number of journals. He has been on the editorial board of the Proceedings of the Helminthological Society of Washington (now Comparative Parasitology) for 38 years and the Journal of Parasitology for 17 years. He has also served as a consultant and co-author on papers written by colleagues who have English as a second language. He is listed in the 65th edition of Who's Who in America.
Among his chief non–scientific pursuits has been fly fishing. He is a life member of Trout Unlimited. Drifting and fly fishing for trout in Montana on the Big Hole, Blackfoot or Missouri rivers, or for salmon and trout on the Kennebec or Penobscot rivers in Maine, remain as his most satisfying recreation. Having lost his wife of 51 years to Parkinson's Disease (2008), his daughter, two granddaughters, and seven great grandchildren are the supreme love of his life, more so now as he is in the shadow of his 90th year.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, John S. Mackiewicz, Ph.D., has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
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