Policy > News
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release: Feb. 9, 2012
Contact (Media Only): Nadine Lymn nadine@esa.org
ESA Announces 2012 Graduate Student Policy Award Winners
Graduate students from Washington
University, University of Tennessee and Florida International University will
travel to nation's capital to speak to lawmakers about investment in science
WASHINGTON,
DC - The Ecological Society of America (ESA), a professional organization of
10,000 ecological scientists, is pleased to announce the recipients of its
2012 Graduate Student Policy Award. The award affords ESA
graduate student members the opportunity to participate in two days of
science policy activities, including meetings with congressional offices.
This year's winners are: Matthew Schuler (Washington University in St.
Louis), Sara Kuebbing (University of Tennessee, Knoxville), and Adam
Rosenblatt (Florida International University).
All
three students have demonstrated their commitment to engage in public policy
and the ESA Award will allow them to build on their experiences.
Schuler, Kuebbing, and Rosenblatt will travel to Washington, DC in March to
participate in a congressional visits event sponsored by the Biological
Ecological Sciences Coalition (BESC) and co-chaired by ESA. The event
will focus on the need for sustained federal investment in biological
research and education. The three students will meet with congressional
offices, be briefed by policy leaders on federal funding issues, and meet
other scientists from across the country including ESA President Steward
Pickett (Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies).
Matthew Schuler's Ph.D. research at Washington University focuses on
how land management practices can enhance species diversity in heavily
managed ecosystems. "The continued support of government funding for
science research relies on our ability as scientists to publicly demonstrate
why our research positively affects the lives of the general public," said
Schuler. He has volunteered for 10 years at the Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources' Sandhill Wildlife Outdoor Education Center where he helped
run educational programs and workshops. He also served on the Board of
the Timber Wolf Information Network, meeting with groups that included "Rod
and Gun" clubs to talk about the importance of government support of wolf
research in Wisconsin. Schuler's graduate research is supported by an
Environmental Protection Agency STAR Fellowship.
Sara Kuebbing's doctoral research at the
University of Tennessee looks at solutions and management of invasive
species. She previously worked with The Nature Conservancy in Vermont
where she developed and coordinated an invasive plant educational
program. She serves on the Board of the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant
Council, providing information on invasive plants. Her experiences have
taught her that "respectful dialogue, strong scientific support, and
reasonable alternatives can change even the most recalcitrant of
individuals." Kuebbing's graduate training is supported by a PEER
Fellowship from the National Institutes of Health.
Adam Rosenblatt's Ph.D. research at Florida
International University focuses on American alligator behavior as part of
the National Science Foundation's Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological
Research program. "Federal support of science and ecology in particular
is crucial for progressing our understanding and conservation of animals,
plants, and varied ecosystem services," says Rosenblatt. He's been
asked to advise a Florida state legislator on issues related to the
Everglades and worked on watershed management projects as an intern for the
Environmental Protection Agency. Rosenblatt works alongside faculty at
his university's Quantifying Biology in the Classroom program to engage
students in multiple related fields simultaneously, demonstrating the
interdependence of the sciences and their application to complex problems.
The
ESA Graduate Student Policy Award is one of several ways the Society works to
offer its graduate student members opportunities to gain public policy
experience. The Society also provides policy training during its annual
meeting and by request throughout the year. ESA graduate student
members also may run-through ESA's Student Section-to serve on several ESA
standing committees, including the Public Affairs Committee, which works
closely with ESA's Washington, DC-based Public Affairs Office (http://www.esa.org/pao/) and focuses on activities to
engage ecological scientists with policymakers and the media.
The Ecological Society of America is the world’s largest community of professional ecologists and a trusted source of ecological knowledge. ESA is committed to advancing the understanding of life on Earth. The 10,000 member Society publishes five journals, convenes an annual scientific conference, and broadly shares ecological information through policy and media outreach and education initiatives. Visit the ESA website at http://www.esa.org
To subscribe to ESA press releases, contact Liza Lester at llester@esa.org
