Awards Committee
The Awards Committee and its subcommittees work to advance the Society’s mission and goals by recognizing achievements in and contributions to the field of ecology. The Awards Committee is responsible for selecting candidates for honorary awards of the Society and for recommending candidates for other awards for which ecologists may be eligible.
Composition
- Chair: This committee may not be chaired by a Governing Board member. The Awards Committee chair may not be a member of any Awards Subcommittee.
- Members: The chairs of all award subcommittees:
- Commitment to Human Diversity in Ecology Award Subcommittee
- W.S. Cooper Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Fields of Geobotany and/or Physiographic Ecology for Outstanding Contributions in the Fields of Geobotany and/or Physiographic Ecology Award Subcommittee
- Distinguished Lifetime Service Award Subcommittee
- Eminent Ecologist Award
- Fakhri A. Bazzaz and Steward T.A. Pickett Mentorship Award for Enhancing Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in Ecology
- Robert H. MacArthur Award for Meritorious Contributions by a Mid-Career Ecologist Subcommittee
- George Mercer Award for an Outstanding Paper by an Early Career Researcher Award Subcommittee
- Eugene P. Odum Award for Excellence in Ecology Education Subcommittee
- Shreve & Whittaker Awards Subcommittee
- E. Lucy Braun Award for an Outstanding Student Poster Presentation at the ESA Annual Meeting & Murray F. Buell Award for an Outstanding Student Presentation at the ESA Annual Meeting Awards Subcommittee
- Sustainability Science Award for Scholarly Work Awards Subcmommittee
- Fellows and Early Career Fellows Selection Subcommittee
- Subcommittee Chairs are appointed to overlapping three-year terms, except for the MacArthur Award Chair, who shall serve for six years. In addition to the Chair, each Subcommittee shall generally consist of six members with overlapping, two-year
Committee Members
- Nate Sanders, University of Michigan, Chair (2023-2026) Email
ESA Diversity Working Group
- Charles Nilon (2023-2026) Working Group Subcommittee Chair
- Arvind Bhuta (2022-2025)
- Nate Sanders (2023-2026)
- Natasha Woods (2023-2026)
- Naupaka Zimmerman (2023-2026)
Student Awards (Buell/Braun) Subcommittee
- Sean Menke, Chair (2024-2027) Email
- Nick Barber (2022-2025)
- Emily Farrer (2024-2027)
- Carolyn Kurle (2022-2025)
- Daniel Laughlin (2022-2025)
Commitment to Human Diversity in Ecology Award Subcommittee
- Jennifer Funk, Chair (2024-2027) Email
University of California, Davis - Tracy Gartner (2024-2027)
- Ivette Perfecto (2024-2027)
- Marko Spasojevic (2024-2027)
- Sara Bombaci (2025-2028)
- Julissa Rojas-Sandoval (2025-2028)
W.S. Cooper Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Fields of Geobotany and/or Physiographic Ecology Subcommittee
- Matthew Koski, Chair (2023-2026) Email
Clemson University - Aaron David (2023-2026)
- Liane Miedema (2023-2026)
- Thomas Miller (2023-2026)
- Hussein Mohamed (2023-2026)
Eminent Ecologist Award Subcommittee
- Elena Litchman, Chair (2025 – 2028) Email
Michigan State University - Jessica Gurevitch (2024-2027)
- Katriona Shea (2024 – 2027)
- Fernando T. Maestre Gil (2023-2026)
- Laura Dee (2025-2026)
Distinguished Lifetime Service Award Subcommittee
- Carol Brewer, Chair (2025 – 2028)
- Carla Caceres (2023-2026)
- Greg Murray (2024-2027)
- Melinda Smith (2023 – 2026)
- Carmen Cid (2025-2028)
Robert H. MacArthur Award for Meritorious Contributions by a Mid-Career Ecologist Award Subcommittee
- Os Schmitz, Chair (2025-2031) Email
Yale University - Richard Ostfeld (2025-2029)
- Mercedes Pascual (2025-2031)
- Mark Hay (2025-2029)
- Kathleen Treseder (2025-2029)
- Anurag Agrawal (2025-2029)
- Katie Suding (2025-2031)
Fakhri A. Bazzaz and Steward T.A. Pickett Mentorship for Enhancing Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in Ecology Award Subcommittee
- David Ackerly, Chair (2025 – 2028) Email
- Nick Haddad (2025 – 2028)
- Peter Guiden (2025 – 2028)
- Shan Kothari (2025 – 2028)
- Amy Iler (2025 – 2028)
- Marjorie Weber (2025 – 2028)
Fellows and Early Career Fellows Selection Subcommittee
- Felicia Keesing, Chair (2023 – 2026) Email
Bard College - Sonia Altizer (2024-2027)
- Meghan Duffy (2023-2026)
- Karen Holl (2023-2026)
- Pam Templer (2023-2026)
- Caryn Vaughn (2023-2026)
- Rachel Winfree (2024-2027)
- Amy Zanne (2024-2027)
- Jason Rohr (2025-2028)
The Forrest Shreve Student Research Fund for Research in the Hot Deserts of North America, the Emerging Ecologist Award for Outstanding Contributions from a Scientist from a Developing Nation, & Robert H. Whittaker Distinguished Ecologist Award for Outstanding Contributions by a Non-U.S. Citizen Residing Outside the U.S. Awards Subcommittee
- Daniel Winkler, Chair (2023 – 2026) Email
U.S. Department of Energy - Anita Antoninka (2023 – 2026)
- Lydia Bailey (2023-2026)
- Allison Louthan (2024-2027)
- Nick Smith (2024-2027)
George Mercer Award for an Outstanding Paper by An Early Career Researcher Subcommittee
- Carla Staver, Chair (2025 – 2028) Email
Princeton University - Duncan Menge (2024-2027)
- Nathan Kraft (2025-2028)
- Rachel Germain (2025-2028)
Eugene P. Odum Education Award for Excellence in Ecology Education Subcommittee
- Loren Byrne, Chair (2024-2027) Email
Roger Williams University - Danielle Garneau (2023-2026)
- Emily Mohl (2024-2027)
- Aswini Pai (2024-2027)
- Emily Rauschert (2024-2027)
- Kevin Geyer (2025-2028)
- Lou Weber (2025-2028)
- Gerardo Reyes (2025-2028)
Sustainability Science Award for Scholarly Work Awards Subcommittee
- Brendan Fisher, Chair (2025-2028) Email
University of Vermont - Margaret Palmer (2024-2027)
- Brian Robinson (2025-2028)
- Fangyuan Hua (2025-2028)
- Rebecca Kariuki (2025-2028)
- Ian Munanura (2025-2028)
- Mariano Rodriguez-Cabal (2025-2028)
- Sara Kubbing (2025-2028)