William Durham

Member of the Board

William (Bill) Durham is Bing Professor in Human Biology (Emeritus), Bass University Fellow in Undergraduate Education, and a Senior Fellow (Emeritus) at Stanford’s Woods Institute for the Environment. Since 1977, he has been jointly appointed in Human Biology and Anthropology at Stanford. Through decades of work in the Galapagos Islands, in both research and educational outreach, Bill has greatly enhanced our global understanding and appreciation of the social, natural, and evolutionary history of Galapagos. An expert in evolutionary principles and environmental issues in Latin America, Bill has conducted fieldwork in Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, and Central America. He was awarded a MacArthur Prize Fellowship and five teaching and research awards at Stanford. His recent book, Exuberant Life: An Evolutionary Approach to Conservation in Galápagos, earned a silver medallion in the "2022 PROSE Awards for Professional and Scholarly Excellence" (Association of American Publishers). Bill has led more than 40 educational tours of the islands and has spearheaded numerous fundraising campaigns for the Charles Darwin Foundation and its Research Station.