ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan Biological Station’s storyteller and strategic communicator won a staff achievement award from the University of Michigan.
Chrissy Billau, who joined UMBS to lead marketing and communications in April 2023, was named the 2025 Rising Star in the Natural Sciences Division by the U-M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA), the largest and most academically diverse of U-M’s 19 schools and colleges.
She accepted her award at a ceremony in Ann Arbor at the Mendelssohn Theatre on Thursday, May 29.
“Chrissy Billau has redefined what is possible in communications at the Biological Station,” said Dr. Aimée Classen, UMBS director and a professor in the U-M Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. “She has made storytelling a pillar of our community engagement in order to recruit new students and researchers, connect with alumni, educate about our science, inspire a deeper appreciation for local ecosystems, improve public engagement to support science, and enhance the station’s reputation both locally and globally. Her exceptional talent, work ethic and vision have helped elevate the Biological Station to new heights, and the results speak for themselves.”
The Rising Star award is presented each year to an individual staff member with no more than three years of service in LSA who has made outstanding contributions that go beyond the ordinary fulfillment of the position’s duties.
The winner receives a framed certificate, recognition at the LSA Staff Achievement Awards and Spring Fling, and a monetary prize of $2,500.
“Chrissy is an invaluable asset to our team, the Biological Station research and academic communities, the University of Michigan and the northern Michigan communities that we are embedded in,” Classen said.
The U-M Biological Station — the largest of U-M's campuses — is one of the nation's largest and longest continuously operating field research stations.
Founded in 1909, the Biological Station in Pellston supports long-term research and education. Located about 20 miles south of the Mackinac Bridge on more than 10,000 forested acres surrounded by lakes and rivers, UMBS is where students and scientists from across the globe live and work as a community to learn from the place.
"Within two years, Chrissy has proceeded to transform the way the Biological Station is known and appreciated,” said Karie Slavik, associate director of UMBS. “She is a tireless supporter, ambassador and cheerleader for the Biological Station and the University of Michigan. Her excitement and pride are contagious and shine in her excellent work. We are so lucky to have her on our team."
“I consider myself the luckiest writer in the world,” Billau said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to share the value of this special place for students and researchers and celebrate their discoveries.”
A journalist and science communicator from the South Side of Chicago, Billau also has won an Emmy Award, Edward R. Murrow Award, Associated Press Award and the Case District V Gold Award throughout her career.
Prior to joining UMBS, Billau served as assistant director of communications at The University of Toledo; a reporter at WTVG-Channel 13, the ABC affiliate in Toledo, Ohio; a reporter at WTVO-Channel 17 News/WQRF Fox39, the ABC and Fox affiliates in Rockford, Illinois; and on the assignment desk at WLS-TV, the ABC affiliate in Chicago.
Billau earned a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Boston University's College of Communication.
She lives in Lambertville, Mich., with her husband, son, stepchildren, Bernese Mountain Dog, chickens, books and flower gardens.
The University of Michigan Biological Station serves as a gathering place to learn from the natural world, advance research and education, and inspire action. We leverage over a century of research and transformative experiences to drive discoveries and solutions to benefit Michigan and beyond.
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