Work Phone: (407) 823-2917
FAX: (407) 823-5769
Suncom 1 (407) 345-2917.
E-mail: 
wtaylor@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu
PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE: HOBBIES
Ornithology - Genealogy - Vertebrate Biology - Music, Piano and Organ Playing - Wildflower Biology - Creative Writing -Gardening- Photography - Early U.S. & Florida History
LIFE MILESTONES:
1939 Birth (November 12)! 
1958 High School Graduate (Calhoun High, Calhoun, KY)!
1962 College Graduate, B.S.!
1963 Published lst Journal Paper!
1964 M.S.!
1967 Ph.D.!
1967 Entered the U.S.Army
1968 Married (still going strong)!
1969 First Real Job and a Decent Check!
1969 Hit 30!
1972 Honorable Discharge, U.S.Army!
1974 A Kentucky Colonel
1975 Birth of my Favorite Girl:"LIZA"
1978 Editor, FloridaScientist!
1979 Published lst Laboratory Manual!
1982 Teaching Excellence Award, College of Arts & Sciences
1983 Another Teaching Excellence Award
1987 Made a Video!
1987 lst Place Literary Award
1988 Made a Another Video!
1988 Teaching Excellence Award, College of Arts & Sciences
1989 Published 2nd Laboratory Manual!
1989 Hit 50!
1992 Published lst Book!
1994 Editor, FloridaFieldNaturalist!
1997 Published 3rd Laboratory Manual!
1997 University Faculty Advising Award!
26 October 1997 Received the
National
God and Service Award
from Boy Scouts of America!
1998 Published 2nd Book!
1999 University Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award
1999 Teaching Excellence Award, College of Arts & Sciences
1999 Hit 30 Years at U.C.F.!
1999 Hit 60!
2000 Still Going Strong!
EDUCATION
1962 B.S. Biology & History, Murray State College, Murray, KY
1964 M.S. Zoology, Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, Ruston, LA
1967 Ph.D. Zoology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
I have taught a number of academic courses over the past 30 years.
My current course specialities are Biodiversity, Invertebrate Zoology, Ornithology, Zoogeography, and Florida Wildflowers. For nearly 26 years I held down our General Zoology which was merged with General Botany and renamed Biodiversity.
ACADEMIC PLEASURES
**Having and being around students with zeal, with humor, with honor, and with determination to succeed!
**Having students who truly want to "educate" their minds, regardless of a grade. Those who want "to seek out knowledge for there is much to learn!"
**Have a student turn his or her life around for the better!
**Seeing my students succeed and hearing from them years after graduation!
**Continually to educate my own mind--there is much for me to learn!
ACADEMIC DISPLEASURES
**Shuffling papers.
**Report writing.
**Having students who moan and groan! Seems like that is all some can do-- always blaming the test or teacher.
**Students who waste their time, money, and life.
**Can't or won't admit their own faults. These see a speck in some folks eye, but can't see the log in their own.
**Afraid to look in the mirror and say, "Is it my fault?"
**Abuse costly student evaluations to "get back at the professor."
Remember, folks:
"If you do not learn something every day of your life, then you just as well had stayed in bed!" Walter K. Taylor.
"Laziness never did anything!"
"Excuses only satisfy the one who makes them!"
"Every life has a story. How will your story read?"
SUCCESS
"To laugh often and much
to win the respect
of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation
of honest critics and endure
the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty,
to find the best in others;
to leave the world
a bit better, whether
by a healthy child,
a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life
has breathed easier
because you have lived.
That is to have succeeded."
R. W. Emerson
A former student, YVONNE WACKER,
sent me Success.
PAST & PRESENT GRADUATE STUDENTS
Bette Jean Schardien Jackson, Ph.D; David T. Corey, Ph.D.; G. Tanner Girard, Ph.D.; Eric Douglas Stolen, Mark A. Kershner, Michael Shane Belson, John Lesman, Michael Petrovich, Edward. J. Chicardi, Don Spence, Jodi Doster, Pam Bowen, Phillip Russell, Adrienne Vining, Adam Brookbank
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
1999. D. B. Ward, and W. K. Taylor. Discovery of Tree-form Gopher Apple (Licaniamichauxii), with Implication of an Arboreous Ancestor. Castanea 64:263-265.
1998. Taylor, W. K. FloridaWildflowersinTheirNaturalCommunities. Univ. Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
1997. Wallace, R.L.,and W.K. Taylor. Invertebrate Zoology, 5th Ed Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
1996. Taylor, W. K. Hairy Woodpecker. Pp. 588-594. In: Rare and EndangeredBiota ofFlorida. Vol. 5. Birds. J.A. Rodgers, Jr. H. W. Kale, II, and H. T. Smith (eds.). Univ. Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
1995. Taylor, W. K. Noteworthy Plants from the Tosohatchee State Reserve. Florida Scientist. 59:12-15.
1992. Taylor, W. K. TheGuidetoFloridaWildflowers. Taylor Publishing Co., Dallas, Texas.
1991. Taylor, W. K.,and M. K.
Kershner. Breeding Biology of the Great Crested Flycatcher in Central Florida.
J.
FieldOrnithology.
62:28-39.
The Florida Native Plant Society is a non-Profit organization that promotes education of Florida's native plants and ecosystems
go visit their web page
Go For The Birds!!! These links are great!!
This web page was created by Don Spence and modified by W. K. Taylor and Mike Lee!