Tributes
From the hearts of our Founding Donors
Many of our Founding Donors have expressed their heartfelt support for the the Equity and Excellence in Ecology (EEE) Endowment. We are pleased to share their thoughts and the people they honor who have made a difference in their lives. Because of our Founding Donors, ESA is able to stay true to its commitment and support programs to engage our whole community in ecology!

In support of
So that the way might be easier in the future…
Ann
All people deserve a chance to fall in love with wild places, and people should have a chance to learn. We need all minds, all backgrounds, and all people in order to protect and sustain the living world. If I can help with that even just a little, and give back even a fraction of what I’ve been given, then I am grateful.
Teri
For a better future
Jonathan
In support of a program with excellent goals.
Zoe
Hope ESA to remain its excellence and grow stronger!
Yude
In celebration of
Diversity Matters!
Christopher
Thanks for remaining committed to diversity, equity and inclusion!
Zakiya
I am happy to contribute to the start of this endowment. Though I find that these programs are too oriented towards Academia. It would be nice to reach out to more citizen-activists, including those with no formal training but are self-taught with good instincts and the courage to pioneer approaches that academics will only follow when it is safer to do so.
Richard
I have been attending ESA meetings regularly since 2009. In that time, I have seen ESA grow into a society that not only recognizes, but celebrates and supports the diversity of ecologists. Comparing a walk through the convention center hallways in Albuquerque in 2009 to Portland in 2023, I was amazed and proud at how much the society has grown into an inclusive group. I felt that students attending that meeting would have felt supported and represented to a level that has grown to maturity over the past few decades. I do not want to see that effort backslide – everyone deserves the chance to spend some or all of their lives learning even just a little bit about how our awesome planet works. There’s always more to do – keep up the good fight, ESA!
Kathryn
In appreciation for
In appreciation of all the ESA staff. Thank you for making this organization possible.
Kelly
In appreciation of all the diverse talented ESA members that we depend on for broadening our perspectives in addressing environmental issues
– In memory of Luciano Cid and Carmen Polo.
In appreciation of how ESA has always been at the forefront of supporting DEI in science!
Tracy
In appreciation for Teresa Mourad and Fred Abbott’s dedication to promoting equity and excellence in ecology.
Elizabeth
In appreciation for ESA’s commitment to equity and excellence in ecology. THANK YOU!
Jennifer
In appreciation for Art Cooper, professor in my first ecology course at NC State.
Donald
In appreciation for my colleagues who support equity and excellence in the next generation of scientists.
Carole
In appreciation for Dr. Amina Pollard
In appreciation for the ESA staff .
Diane
In appreciation of the amazing work being done by the Fellows in this program, and in support of a stronger, more diverse, and more equitable ESA.
Steven
In appreciation for all my BIPOC colleagues and students.
Martha
In appreciation of how ESA helped my own career and the need to welcome everyone into the ecological community.
Cynthia
In appreciation of my early career colleagues who have overcome barriers to feel a sense of belonging in ecology. I support you!
Steven
In memory of
In memory of Mary Zavanelli.
In memory of Dr. Michael Treshow and Dr. Ralph Robert Hathaway, University of Utah
In gratitude and memory of Martyn M. Caldwell – the best advisor ever for his excellence as a scientist, mentor and friend.
Elisabeth
In memory of Herbert and Mary Jane Holland.
In memory of John Schade who championed diversity through the undergraduate training experience he developed through his collaborative work on the Polaris Project. He was an inspiration to all who knew him and the undergraduates whose lives were changed through knowing John.
Elizabeth
In memory of my Graduate Advisor, Dr. Michael Treshow, Department of Biology, University of Utah. And in appreciation for my grandmother’s and my favorite wild area: Squirrel Meadows, Targhee National Forest, Wyoming.
Christine
In honor of
In honor of Marjorie M. Holland
Yaffa
In honor of Marjorie Holland, former ESA Director of Public Affairs
In recognition of
In recognition of Drs. M. Syndonia Bret-Harte and Liza Comita
Gregory