Science Awards

The Science Awards were established to recognize that effective wildlife management and conservation is founded on innovative scientific inquiry and principles. As the Service faces increasingly complex challenges, the value of current scientific information is rapidly increasing. The awards are meant to recognize the outstanding efforts of the agency’s scientists and technical staff.

The Science Leadership Award recognizes a Service employee’s exemplary practice and support of scientific activities to improve the Service’s knowledge and management of fish and wildlife resources. The Rachel Carson Award for Scientific Excellence recognizes exemplary scientific contributions to achieving extraordinary results in fish and wildlife conservation. The Rachel Carson Award is given in two categories - individual and group.

The following are the names of the 2011 Science Award winners and the descriptions of how their work met the award criteria. The awards were presented at the Director's Reception at the 77th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, March 15, 2012, in Atlanta, GA.

Rachel Carson Award for Scientific Excellence (Individual) - 2011    Dr. Jeffrey Olsen    Region 7 - Conservation Genetics Lab

Rachel Carson Award for Scientific Excellence (Group) - 2011 Ed Berg, Matt Bowser, Toby Burke, Rick Ernst, Todd Eskelin, Mark Laker, Dawn Magness, John Morton Region 7 - Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

Science Leadership Award - 2011    Jeff Williams    Region 7 - Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge