Dr. William (Bill) Montevecchi, a highly distinguished, beloved and respected member and retiree of the Faculty of Science, passed away on July 11, 2026, leaving to mourn many loved ones, family, colleagues and students.
He joined the Faculty of Science’s Department of Psychology in 1975 and retired in 2021.
During his almost five decades at Memorial University, Dr. Montevecchi made an indelible and lasting impact in his area of research and expertise, on his communities and especially on his students and mentees.
As a John Lewis Paton Distinguished University Professor, professor emeritus, supervisor and invaluable member of the Cognitive and Behavioral Ecology Program, and member of the departments of Psychology, Biology and Ocean Sciences, he supervised or co-supervised three post-doctoral fellows, 14 doctoral, 31 graduate and 13 undergraduate honours students, and more than 60 graduate and undergraduate assistants and technicians.
“He could always bring students in that were extremely competent and compatible,” said Dr. Pierre-Paul Bitton, Dr. Montevecchi’s colleague and professor in the Department of Psychology. “There’s a magic touch of his there that I can’t quite explain.”
Beloved mentor
Described as “knowledgeable, humble, insightful, friendly and down to Earth” by colleagues, Dr. Montevecchi mentored more than 100 students at Memorial.
“The greatest impact Bill had on my life was to never stop being curious.”
Tori Burt, a recent graduate of the cognitive and behavioural ecology program, says she always felt “very supported” by Dr. Montevecchi and that it was an experience she’ll never forget.
“He always advocated for me to be included on research papers, trusted me to take the lead on several research projects, offered to help whenever I needed it and gave excellent feedback,” she said. “The greatest impact Bill had on my life was to never stop being curious. He was always bursting with passion about a new research topic, and he never stopped asking questions. Despite his many years in the field, his enthusiasm never ceased when it came to research. If a student had an idea, he was always willing to hear them out.”
World-renowned scholar
Dr. Montevecchi’s groundbreaking research allowed him and his team to determine the effects of changing fish, climate and ocean conditions on the behavioural ecology of seabirds.
His prolific work as an environmental steward and champion of science communications will continue to inspire future generations of scientists, policy-makers and community leaders.
“Bill always insisted that as researchers, we have a duty to find ways to help the animals that we study or see are impacted by human activity,” said Dr. Bitton. “As researchers, we can silo ourselves in our own interests, but he was adamant that we have the ability and power to influence policy, and duty to share knowledge.”
He received more than $7.5 million in external funding and numerous awards for his research, mentorship, outreach and advocacy, including being ranked in Stanford University’s 2020 Top 2% of the World’s Marine Biologists.
Dr. Montevecchi presented at more than 500 conferences and gave hundreds of media interviews. His 415 publications have been cited almost 13,000 times.
Honour Dr. William Montevecchi’s legacy
For almost 50 years, Dr. William Montevecchi shaped marine science, protected iconic seabird colonies like Cape St. Mary’s and mentored generations of university students across Canada.
To carry his fierce dedication to ocean conservation and student mentorship forward, the Dr. William Montevecchi Memorial Scholarship has been established.
To make a gift online to the Tribute Fund, please visit the Dr. William Montevecchi Memorial Scholarship page.
A celebration of life will take place at The Launch in Holyrood on Sunday, Nov. 1, from 2-5 p.m.
For inquiries regarding the endowed scholarship agreement, matching gifts or offline contributions, please contact Elea Stephenson, fund development officer, in the Faculty of Science at Memorial University.
