Young Joseph Cech Jr. was floundering around for a career -- and then he discovered fish. As a research assistant at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Cech found that "thinking about how fish function as little machines -- that turned me on. I thought, 'This is fun. I can see myself doing this for a long time.'" That enthusiasm has fueled Cech's career at UC Davis as an inspirational professor and an expert on fish physiology. For those accomplishments, Cech was named this week as the recipient of the 2001 UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement. The prize carries a $30,000 cash award, believed to be the largest of its kind in the nation. It has been awarded annually since 1988 by the UC Davis Foundation. The winner is selected on the recommendations of faculty members, students and research peers. "The UC Davis Foundation is proud to support excellence in higher education through this prize," said the chair of the foundation's board of trustees, Robert Murphy. "We feel that this is a wonderful way to express our pride in the faculty and students of UC Davis. It is a pleasure to see the prize awarded to Professor Cech in recognition of his exceptional achievements." "Professor Cech is known as one of our campus's finest mentors of undergraduate researchers," said UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef. "The UC Davis Prize recognizes his philosophy that students grow by being involved in discovery." Joseph Cech's teaching talents became evident soon after his arrival at UC Davis as an assistant professor in 1975. Cech had "a natural gift for communication combined with careful and conscientious planning and preparation," Cech's first department chair, Dale Lott, said then. Today, students and faculty "respect his enthusiasm, his dedication to students and his efforts to impart the fruits of scientific discoveries to them, to science professionals, and to the public," wrote Neal Van Alfen, dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, in recommending Cech for the UC Davis Prize. Cech said he counsels students from his own experience. "If you're doing something you really like, I think you'll be a happier person, a more satisfied person," he said. "I always tell them to find something you really love and then go for it." In the classroom, Cech has a quiet manner. Dressed casually in sneakers, corduroys and an open-collared shirt, he carries an all-purpose lab tool on his belt and has a fish knife tucked in his pocket. In Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology 121, Physiology of Fishes, he works his way smoothly through a lecture like a trout patrolling its home pool. His mouth is always on the verge of a smile; he emphasizes key points with raised eyebrows and a bit more smile. Students call WFC 121, which Cech teaches every winter, the department's most rigorous course. In students' end-of-term evaluations of the course, comments like this are typical: "It seems that an awful lot of work is required." "Extremely demanding." "Exams were difficult, as was the grading," said one writer. But Cech's evaluation scores average around 4.8 on a scale of 5. "Impressive commitment to effective teaching across the spectrum of student abilities, yet offers a satisfying challenge to advanced students and professionals. Thanks, Joe," wrote one re-entry student. In 1995, Cech's teaching skills were recognized by his professional colleagues. The American Fisheries Society gave him and UC Davis Professor Peter Moyle its Award for Excellence in Fisheries Education. In 1997, the UC Davis Pro Femina Research Consortium named him an Outstanding Mentor. In 1999, the fisheries society gave him its Mentoring for Professional Diversity Award. On the scholarly side, Cech is known internationally for his research on the physiological ecology of fishes. His research has expanded science's understanding of fish habitat needs and conservation, and of the use of fish for mosquito control, game fishing and aquaculture, or fish-farming. He recently received a $1.5 million grant from CALFED to study the effects of fish screens on threatened species and to determine the population status of the native green sturgeon. He has written 115 peer-reviewed publications, many of them co-authored with faculty colleagues and students, including undergraduates. He is co-author with Moyle of a leading textbook, "Fishes: An Introduction to Ichthyology," now in its fourth edition. In 1998, he co-edited a leading reference, "Multiple Stresses in Ecosystems," with UC Davis professors Barry Wilson and Donald Crosby. He was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1997. A graduate student in Cech's winter 1998 physiology class summed up her impressions in this course evaluation: "Joe is very enthusiastic, energetic, extremely knowledgeable on the subject. ... He is a kind and very approachable person. I would highly recommend him for an award." Joseph Cech's prize for undergraduate teaching and scholarly achievement will be presented to him formally at a gala dinner on May 24.