W&L Environmental Studies Professor Awarded Mednick Memorial Fellowship Mauricio Betancourt will receive $2,250 from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges to support his research on the Peruvian guano trade.

By Brian Laubscher
March 31, 2025

Mauricio Betancourt, assistant professor of environmental studies at Washington and Lee University, was awarded the 2025 Mednick Memorial Fellowship from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC).

The fellowship, which is designed to encourage the professional development of college and university teachers and improve their academic competence through research and advanced study, carries a $2,250 stipend to assist in research and scholarship.

“I am deeply grateful to the VFIC, Dean Kimber and W&L for their generous support, which will be instrumental in advancing my research and enriching both my forthcoming book and my teaching by incorporating cutting-edge knowledge of the guano industry,” said Betancourt.

Betancourt’s research, which is also supported by a Lenfest Summer Grant, focuses on the  Peruvian guano (bird dung) trade. He will seek to expand his study by interviewing current guano workers and other stakeholders and visiting key guano islands where he will collaborate with stakeholders to map today’s guano supply chain. This will seek to trace if the resource is exported, along with information about where and how it is exported. Betancourt aims to incorporate this data into his teaching and a future book manuscript.

“Peru continues to exploit its guano deposits, which are frailly sustained by a vulnerable bird population amid changing environmental and social conditions,” he said.

Betancourt joined the W&L faculty in 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Master of Arts in philosophy of science from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, as well as a Master of Arts and Ph.D in sociology from the University of Oregon.

Established in 1952, the VFIC aims to advance the distinctive values and strengths of the 17 colleges across Virginia that make up its consortium. This is accomplished by securing financial support, increasing visibility, facilitating innovative and collaborative programs and supporting initiatives that ensure personalized educational experiences remain an affordable choice for tomorrow’s citizen leaders.

The Maurice L. Mednick Memorial was created in 1967 in honor of a young Norfolk, Virginia industrialist who died from accidental causes and whose family and business associates wished to perpetuate his name by establishing a memorial that would emphasize his and the donors’ strong interest in higher education.

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