21 individuals recognized for outstanding contributions to ornithology
At the opening of the 134th stated meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) in Washington, D.C., this week, the society welcomed 21 new Fellows, each selected by their peers for their outstanding contributions to the field of ornithology and their service to the AOU. In keeping with the AOU's geographic focus, Fellows are residents or citizens of the Western Hemisphere, and represent the most eminent members of the global ornithology community.
This year's newly elected Fellows are Erin Michael Bayne (University of Alberta), William M. Block (US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station), Leonard A. Brennan (Texas A&M University), Carlos Daniel Cadena (Universidad de los Andes), Angelo P. Capparella (Illinois State University), Deanna K. Dawson (US Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center), Robert H. Day (ABR, Inc.--Environmental Research & Services), Emily DuVal (Florida State University), Paul L. Flint (US Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center), Thomas L. George (Bird Conservancy of the Rockies), Eduardo J. Iñigo-Elias (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), John T. Klicka (Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington), Steven T. Knick (US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center), Richard B. Lanctot (US Fish and Wildlife Service), Kevin J. McGraw (Arizona State University), Carol L. McIntyre (Denali National Park and Preserve), Robert G. Moyle (University of Kansas), Margaret R. Petersen (US Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center), Peter Pyle (The Institute for Bird Populations, Point Reyes Station), Gregory J. Robertson (Environment and Climate Change Canada), and Rebecca Safran (University of Colorado).
New Fellows are nominated each year by current Fellows or by AOU's nominations committee, and are confirmed through a vote of the current Fellows at the annual meeting. "Scientists are typically so busy doing science that we sometimes fail to celebrate the accomplishments of our colleagues," says Scott Lanyon, president of the AOU. "Therefore, for over one hundred years the American Ornithologists' Union has made a point of formally recognizing Fellows of the AOU, ornithologists who have made significant contributions to the advancement of scientific understanding of birds and to the promotion of a rigorous scientific basis for the conservation of birds."
