With nearly 50 years of professional experience, Dr. James Vilkitis excelled as a professor with the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, from 1980 until his retirement in 2017.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA, March 25, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present James Vilkitis, PhD with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Vilkitis celebrates many years of 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 current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
With nearly 50 years of professional experience, James R. Vilkitis excelled as a Professor with the California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo, where he was employed from 1980 until his retirement in 2017. It was at the University that Dr. Vilkitis was instrumental in developing, teaching and advising the Environmental Management Protection major in the College of Agriculture. In addition to his faculty assignments, he developed and directed the Coastal Resources Institute (CRI), which is a cross campus institute providing interdisciplinary educational opportunities for faculty, staff and students to meet the present and future environmental challenges of society.
Prior to his career at Cal Poly, Dr Vilkitis served as a Principal and Managing Partner of Carlozzi, Sinton & Vilkitis (CSV), Inc., a national resource management consulting firm from 1970-1980, and was a Big Game Project Leader for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife from 1970-1971. He has also served as a consultant for Watkins-Johnson Company, R. L. Stollar & Associates, Rosenberg Dam Project of West Virginia, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, J.S. Ward & Associates, and the National Commission on Water Quality EIS. He also dedicated his time and knowledge as a Professor at Mount Holyoke College and served as a statistician for the Regional Planning and Design Association in Amherst, MA. A trusted voice in the field, Dr. Vilkitis authored and has published multiple creative and research works, including the "Management Model for Terrestrial Systems" which was published in 1973. As a member of the national organization Total Environmental Group, he was involved and responsible for environmental work and planning throughout the United States and the world.
He became interested and pursued additional training and education in the marital arts, which led to his teaching Tai Chi at UMass and Cal Poly as part of their extended education programs. Dr. Vilkitis also had an interest in leather work and established the TC Leather Works business in Shutesbury, MA, specializing in design and handiwork of unique leather goods such as clothing, purses, etc. Additionally, because of his love of fishing, he wrote and published a cookbook entitled "Fish Cookery."
Dr. Vilkitis grew up in the city of Detroit, Michigan, but spent his summers at his grandmother's farm in Pennsylvania, where he would spend time outdoors developing his hunting and fishing skills. Looking back on these experiences, he recognizes that this was what sparked his interest in natural resources and wildlife management. Upon graduation from high school, he pursued his passion in these areas by earning a bachelor of science degree from Michigan State University (East Lansing) and continuing his studies at the University of Idaho (Moscow) where he obtained his Master of Science Degree. Ultimately, he achieved a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst), where he also completed two years of postdoctoral work and research in Maine for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Game.
Over the years, Dr. Vilkitis has been honored on multiple occasions for his accomplishments and achievements. He has accepted a number of awards and accolades for his research and teaching contributions, including the prestigious "Excellence in Teaching Award" from the Dole Corporation. This award included a trip to the Dole headquarters in Ecuador as well as a tour of the Galapagos Islands.
Dr. Vilkitis was born on October 31, 1941, in Rush, Pennsylvania, to mother Kathryn Fetchkowsky-Vilkitis and father Joseph Edgar Vilkitis. In the 1980s, he met his wife Nancy at Cal Poly, and they have been together for over 30 years. After both their retirements from Cal Poly, they relocated to the Carson Valley in Nevada, where they now reside.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Dr. James Vilkitis 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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