F&M Stories
Citation in Honor of Meredith Bashaw
Christian R. and Mary E. Lindback Foundation Award
Professor Meredith Bashaw is a tireless champion for learners and scientists of all
backgrounds and levels. On campus, you are likely to find her supervising one of her
many undergraduate research assistants, staying late to meet with a student, or leading
a workshop about best practices in teaching for her colleagues.
Professor Bashaw is one of the nation鈥檚 top scholars in animal welfare, particularly concerning wild animals in captivity. She has authored or co-authored more than 35 peer-reviewed articles and one highly regarded edited volume, 鈥淪cientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums,鈥 published by Cambridge University Press. She has received significant grants to support her research from the Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia and other organizations, as well as many awards for her scholarship, such as the Susan D. Chan Author of the Year Award and the Keeper Appreciation Award.
At the same time, her department colleagues and peers across campus look to her for guidance on the development of innovative curricula and pedagogy. Professor Bashaw led the revision of the Psychology major and minor and the Animal Behavior major. She consistently seeks out training in inclusive pedagogy from national experts and then generously shares what she has learned with other professors at F&M. For example, she was selected to attend the Project Kaleidoscope STEM Leadership Institute and the American Association of Colleges and Universities鈥 High Impact Practices for Student Success Institute. With funding from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, she ran a summer workshop for colleagues on 鈥淐apitalizing on Diversity to Enhance the Liberal Arts Classroom Experience.鈥 Professor Bashaw also impressed her colleagues when she was a co-leader of the Faculty Center Inclusive Teaching Workshop. Here, she helped others make their syllabi and assignments more transparent and use language that encouraged resilience among learners. With wisdom, humility, and humor, Professor Bashaw encouraged senior and junior colleagues to join her in this important work.
Professor Bashaw has high standards in her classes; she is known as a tough grader. Students describe her as 鈥渁lways well-prepared,鈥 鈥渆xtraordinarily engaging,鈥 鈥減recise,鈥 鈥渕eticulous,鈥 and 鈥渢horough.鈥 Embracing the F&M ethos of student-faculty collaboration to solve real-world problems, Professor Bashaw consistently supervises students鈥 independent research and includes them in her own scholarly projects.
Students and faculty across the College have benefited from Professor Bashaw鈥檚 expertise and excellence in teaching. She is a beloved mentor who truly leads by example.
Related Articles
May 11, 2026
鈥極wn That Achievement,鈥 NFL Pro Tells Class of 2026 Graduates
Members of the Class of 2026 completed their undergraduate journeys May 9 at 糖心鈥檚 239th Commencement. 鈥淵ou navigated uncertainty, global disruption, and a world that refused to slow down,鈥 said NFL great Troy Vincent, this year鈥檚 speaker.
May 11, 2026
The 2026 Williamson Medal Winner: Menelaos Raptis
This year, the Williamson Medal 鈥 the highest student award for character, leadership and scholarship presented each year at Franklin & Marshall鈥檚 Commencement for more than a century 鈥 was awarded to Menelaos Raptis.
May 8, 2026
Seniors in the Spotlight
During their time on campus, members of the Franklin & Marshall Class of 2026 have taken advantage of the College鈥檚 liberal arts approach to explore their passions and chart their own path, combining stellar academic achievement with influential leadership, meaningful community-building, record-setting athletic performances, and much more.