{"id":30,"date":"2018-04-11T15:14:40","date_gmt":"2018-04-11T15:14:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esa.org\/invasion\/?page_id=30"},"modified":"2025-09-02T14:40:38","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T14:40:38","slug":"awards","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/esa.org\/invasion\/awards\/","title":{"rendered":"Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Simberloff Award for Outstanding Presentation<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

The 2025 Simberloff Award has ended! Please check back next year for a new call and announcement!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Invasion Ecology Section, along with Biological Invasions<\/a><\/em> and Springer International Publishers, is pleased to sponsor the annual Simberloff Award for Outstanding Presentation. The award\u2019s name is in recognition of the contributions of the Editor-in-Chief of Biological Invasions<\/em>, Daniel Simberloff<\/a>, to the study of nonnative species. The award will be given to two student presenters at ESA\u2019s annual meeting who embody Simberloff\u2019s creativity, intelligence, and passion for studying and understanding the biology of nonnative organisms. Entrants are judged on the rigor<\/em>, creativity<\/em>, importance<\/em>, and quality<\/em> of their research and its presentation. Each winner will receive a $250 cash award and will have their achievements published in Biological Invasions.<\/em><\/p>\n

Eligibility Requirements for Student Presenters<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. The student entrant must be first author and presenter for the paper or poster.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

2. Student is defined as an undergraduate or graduate student who is currently enrolled in a degree program or who finished their degree within the last 12 months*.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

3. The student must be an Invasion Ecology section member at the time of the presentation. Not a member of the invasion Ecology section? No problem and it\u2019s easy to join. Just go to the ESA membership site for more information.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

4. Past winners are prohibited from re-entering the competition<\/p>\n

*The research presented must be the students own work that was conducted before their graduation date.<\/p>\n

How to enter:<\/strong><\/p>\n

FIRST: Complete the following registration form<\/a> declaring your intent to enter the competition. If you are interested in judging, you can also use this form to apply<\/p>\n

SECOND: Upload your oral presentation or poster to the following google drive<\/a><\/p>\n

To apply please submit the entry form by Friday 28st July, 11:59 PM EST and upload your presentations to the google drive by Friday August 11, 11:59 PM EST<\/strong>. We ask that all judges view presentations and submit their scores (instructions forthcoming) by Monday August 21st, 11:59 PM EST. Judges will be contacted before the conference with a list of students presentations or posters to evaluate.<\/p>\n

If you have any questions or have problems registering or uploading your presentations\/posters, please contact Dr.<\/strong> Jess Hartshorn <\/b>(jhartshorn@centralstate.edu).<\/p>\n

To learn more about this award and its namesake, see the following publication in Biological Invasions<\/i>:<\/p>\n

Kuebbing, S.E., and L.A. Meyerson. Honoring Daniel Simberloff: An unwavering champion of invasion biology. Biological Invasions<\/i> 20:3379\u20133383. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10530-018-1878-x<\/a><\/p>\n

Congratulations to Sofia Al-Shayeb and Emma van der Heide! Our 2025 Simberloff Award winners!<\/h2>\n

Sofia Al-Shayeb,\u00a0<\/strong>University of Illinois \u2013 Chicago<\/p>\n

\"\"Poster title:<\/p>\n

Invasive Flora Repository: Traits, environmental tolerances, and invasion history of invasive plant species in the U.S.<\/p>\n

Sofia Al-Shayeb\u00a0is a Post-Baccalaureate Researcher in Dr. Gabriela Nunez-Mir\u2019s Macroscale Ecology and Conservation Lab at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is also a research assistant at the Chicago\u00a0Botanic Gardens working\u00a0under Dr. Alicia Foxx. Her research explores the traits and spread habits of invasive plant species, as well as broader topics in ecosystem conservation and restoration ecology. She is currently preparing applications for Ph.D. programs in Ecology, with the goal of beginning her studies in Fall 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Emma van der Heide,<\/strong> Penn State University<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Paper title: Death by two cuts: early life stress enhances management success for an invasive thistle.<\/p>\n

Emma is a PhD student in the Ecology program at Penn State, working with Professor Katriona Shea on the ecology and management of invasive thistles. Her work focuses on the impact of disturbance during vulnerable life stages, including how these events impact invasion dynamics and the success of management. Much of this work draws on theory in disturbance ecology to address the efficient allocation of limited management effort. Emma is currently working on linking individual-level responses to early-life stress to their population-level consequences and the landscape-scale pattern of invasion observed in\u00a0Carduus nutans<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0C. acanthoides<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Congratulations to Sarah Romy and Miranda Melen! Our 2024 Simberloff Award winners!\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Sarah Romy,\u00a0<\/strong>University of Illinois \u2013 Chicago<\/p>\n

\"\"Poster title: How to be a good neighbor: An investigation of associational resistance through plant community characteristics.<\/p>\n

Sarah is a graduate student in the Macroscale Ecology and Conservation Lab at the University of Illinois Chicago. Working under the mentorship of Dr. Gabriela Nunez-Mir, Sarah\u2019s research focuses on the roles of structural diversity and aboveground traits in associational resistance of tree communities to invasive insect pests and how invasion syndromes may influence invasiveness in insect species. Sarah became interested in invasion ecology and restoration as an undergrad where she worked at a local forest preserve and regularly removed invasive species to help restore the forest ecosystem and pursued a graduate degree to more deeply understand the patterns and processes involved in invasion ecology. When asked which paper written by Dan Simberloff was most inspiring, Sarah says, \u201cOne of my favorite Simberloff papers is,\u00a0\u201dIntroduced species policy, management, and future research needs\u201d, by Simberloffet al. (2005). I am currently working on a project that collects trait data on invasive species, with the goal of identifying traits associated with invasion success, and then using these traits to predict the invasive potential of future invasive species.<\/p>\n

Miranda Melen,\u00a0<\/strong>University of California, Santa Cruz<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Paper title: Explaining the distribution of invasive plants along roadsides: the case study of Dittrichia graveolens (stinkwort).<\/p>\n

Miranda is a PhD candidate working under the direction of Dr. Ingrid Parker in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at University of California, Santa Cruz. She is broadly interested in species interactions at the confluence of native and non-native organisms. Miranda has focused much of her research on California ecosystems, exploring the perils facing endangered and at-risk species, how non-native species spread, and how ecological theory can be applied to restoration. She started working on invasions about 10 years ago as a vegetation manager at the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, a nonprofit in the San Francisco Bay Area focusing on salt marsh habitat restoration and sea level rise mitigation. Out on the levees of the old salt ponds in the south bay, she was introduced to stinkwort (Dittrichia graveolens), a recent invader to California. Learning about managing stinkwort as a practitioner naturally led her to ask many questions about its biology, ability to spread, and impact on various habitats and native species. Miranda\u2019s questions were echoed in cross-agency vegetation manager meetings, and she was surprised to discover how much is still unknown about stinkwort, and even about mechanisms of invasion generally. This was the motivation to apply to Dr. Parker\u2019s lab to pursue research in plant invasion biology. Her Ph.D. research focuses on the ecological and evolutionary drivers of invasion, asking whether stinkwort has evolved traits for competitive ability, how competition and disturbance impact stinkwort establishment, and how seed bank dynamics evolve in spreading populations. When asked which paper written by Dan Simberloff was most inspiring, Miranda selected \u201cA call for an end to calls for the end of invasion biology\u201d by Simberloff and Vitule (2014). When asked why this paper was important, she said \u201cConservation and restoration professionals are making a meaningful impact every day, often facing immense pressure and a constant lack of funding. Many of them feel disheartened by critiques from some environmental groups that liken invasive species control to xenophobia. In reality, their work is driven by a deep commitment to protecting biodiversity and addressing the ecological consequences of settler colonialism. Simberloff has been a strong advocate for science-driven restoration and a staunch supporter of the dedicated people working on the ground to make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Congratulations to Kay Strain and Taylor Zallek! Our 2022 Simberloff Award Winners!\ud83c\udf89<\/span><\/h2>\n

Kay Strain,<\/strong>\u00a0University of Nevada-Reno<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Poster presentation<\/p>\n

Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) modifies the soil microbial community<\/em><\/p>\n

Kay is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Fire and Dryland Ecosystems lab in the University of Nevada, Reno. Their research investigates how drought interacts with grass invasion and wildfire to influence nutrient cycling and retention in drylands. In their winning poster, Kay found an interesting belowground feedback mechanism in invasive cheatgrass,\u00a0 in which root exudation increases nitrogen (N) availability by suppressing heterotrophic microbes (See poster below).<\/p>\n

\n
Kay\u2019s favorite Simberloff publication is Dr. Simberloff\u2019s dissertation research (Simberloff and Wilson 1969, Simberloff 1969) as they find it inspiring because it speaks to his qualities as a creative and critical thinker. His inventive approach to research design and commitment to challenging and strengthening our understanding of ecology has led to impactful and innovative research over the course of his career.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Taylor Zallek\u00a0<\/strong>University of Pittsburgh<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"oral presentation<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Evolution in response to management and propagule size interact to increase invasiveness among experimental populations of aquatic plants<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Taylor is a Ph.D. candidate in Turcotte\u2019s Lab, U. of Pittsburgh, interested in better understanding the relative contributions of ecological versus evolutionary factors (as well as their interactions) in determining invasion success and failure, using duckweed as a model species. Here is the summary of his work:<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n
Invasive populations often require intense management to reduce their ecological impact on invaded communities and ecosystems. Whether these removal efforts influence the invasive population\u2019s evolution and, subsequently, its invasiveness remains to be thoroughly and empirically investigated. To address this gap, I conducted an experiment evolving genetically diverse populations of the duckweed Lemna minor to the presence or absence of repeated reductions in population size (simulating management) before introducing them to diverse communities of other duckweed species in replicated, experimental invasions. I was able to compare the invasiveness of these populations to populations that had evolved in the absence of management and populations of duckweed lacking any experimental evolutionary history.<\/div>\n
Populations evolving to management were significantly more invasive than their non-managed and non-evolved counterparts. This was especially the case at the highest propagule sizes where managed populations demonstrated an average increase of population growth and biomass of 44% relative to populations evolving under non-management conditions. Preliminary analyses show that managed populations were also significantly more impactful in their ability to reduce community growth rates. These results seem to demonstrate that the longterm eco-evolutionary consequences of certain management practices can be complicated and potentially detrimental towards ultimate conservation goals.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n

Taylor\u2019s favorite Simberloff paper is Simberloff & Von Holle 1999.\u201d This paper and the concept of invasional meltdowns provided the framework for my very first experience conducting research as an undergraduate student at St. John\u2019s University in central Minnesota. We measured the potential synergistic effects of invasive understory shrubs and earthworms in deciduous forests. This paper, and the experience that accompanied it, made me curious about the multitude of factors that influence invasions and sent me on a journey that I continue to pursue to this day!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Simberloff Award winners 2021:<\/h2>\n

Congratulations Angela<\/span> Walczyk and William Pfadenhauer!<\/h2>\n

Angela Walczyk,<\/strong> \u00a0Michigan Technological University<\/p>\n

Oral presentation<\/p>\n

Investigating phenotypic plasticity in biological invasions and implications for the invasive success of tetraploid Solidago gigantea (Giant Goldenrod, Asteraceae)<\/em><\/p>\n

Angela is a Ph.D. candidate interested in how polyploidy influences plant responses to the biotic and abiotic environment. In her talk, she presented research testing the hypothesis of higher phenotypic plasticity in successful invasive species, using goldenrod (Solidago gigantea<\/em>, Asteraceae) as a model. In a thorough experiment,\u00a0 morphological and physiological traits of native and invasive goldenrod were contrasted, finding that native goldenrod has more phenotypic plasticity in biomass accumulation and height than invasive goldenrod. Other traits didn\u2019t show phenotypic plasticity differences between treatments. Additional studies were required for defensive traits. Research like this is very relevant as it is one of the few studies controlling for the potential effects that polyploidy might have on PP by comparing only native and invasive populations of the same ploidy level. Well done Angela!<\/p>\n

What Simberloff publication is most inspiring to you and why?\u00a0<\/em>
Genovesi, P. and Simberloff D. (2020). \u201cDe-extinction\u201d in conservation: Assessing risks of releasing\u201c resurrected\u201d species. Journal for Nature Conservation. 56:125838. I was introduced to the topic of \u201cde-extinction\u201d in a Conservation Biology class, and since then I have found its proposal as an innovative conservation tool to be both fascinating and concerning. In this paper, Genovesi and Simberloff clearly discuss the risks and potential benefits of introducing extinct species proxies into modern ecosystems through the lens of invasive biology. I personally like this publication because its incorporation of conservation biology, policy making, and public opinion makes for a fantastic<\/strong>\u00a0springboard into complex ecological discussions. For that reason, I feel that this publication is a strong learning tool that can enhance classroom discussions and students\u2019 understanding of ecology and biology.<\/p>\n

\"New<\/p>\n

William Pfadenhauer<\/strong>, University of Massachussetts<\/p>\n

Oral presentation<\/p>\n

Identifying the biogeographic traits of invasive plants\u2019 native habitats<\/em><\/p>\n

Will is a PhD. Candidate at the Spatial Ecology Lab, UMass Amherst. He is interested in analyzing big data with spatial and statistical techniques to study global trends in plant invasions. For ESA 2021 he presented brilliantly how biogeographic data could be incorporated to risk assessments of invasive plants. To achieve this, a large dataset of biogeographic traits (characteristics of native plant habitat) was compiled for 5500 vascular plants native to the continental United States and each species are given an invasion status. Authors hypothesized that species with broader abiotic niches in the native habitat and species more accessible to human discovery (e.g., proximal to human footprint) would be more likely to establish and invade outside of the U.S.\u00a0 This seems to be the case for the US continental flora, as species that can tolerate a wider range of temperature, precipitation, soil pH, and soil texture were correctly predicted as invasive elsewhere. Thus niche breadth can be a valuable trait to incorporate into risk assessments and the variables described above can be easily obtained from current species occurrences repositories such as GBIF.<\/p>\n

What Simberloff publication is most inspiring to you and why?\u00a0<\/em>
This is a tough choice, but I\u2019d have to say \u201cEcological Resistance To Biological Invasion Overwhelmed By Propagule Pressure\u201d by Von Holle and Simberloff (2005). I\u2019m currently working on a project that evaluates the different pathways used by invasive plants to relocate to new environments, so these days I\u2019m thinking a lot about propagule pressure, how it interacts with other variables, and the role it plays in the different phases of the invasion process. This publication clearly conveys the importance of propagule pressure in determining invisibility, and in doing so inspires me to better understand these underlying processes and help create more effective invasive plant management strategies in the future.<\/p>\n

\"New<\/p>\n

Congratulations to our 2020 winners Rebecca Mostow and Eve Beaury!<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Rebecca Mostow<\/strong>, Oregon State University
Oral, Evolution: Genetic Isolation And Differentiation
Discovery of a novel, dune-building grass: Hybridization of non-native beachgrasses (Ammophila arenaria \u00d7 breviligulata) along the U.S. Pacific Northwest coast<\/a><\/p>\n

What is your year of study at your university? What lab do you belong to?<\/em><\/p>\n

I am a 5th year PhD candidate working with Dr. Sally Hacker at Oregon State University.<\/p>\n

What is your over-arching research topic?<\/em><\/p>\n

I study the ecology and population genetics of two invasive, closely-related, dune-building beachgrasses. These two grasses densely invaded the US Pacific Coast leading to habitat loss for native flora and fauna but also dramatically increasing the coastal protection provided by dunes to nearby towns and cities. The discovery of a novel hybrid between the two species (as described in my ESA talk) has pushed me to complete a truly interdisciplinary PhD, integrating genomic tools with models and theory from invasion ecology.<\/p>\n

What Simberloff publication is most inspiring to you and why?<\/em><\/p>\n

Rhymer, J. M., and D. Simberloff. 1996. Extinction by Hybridization and Introgression. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 27:83\u2013109. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1146\/annurev.ecolsys.27.1.83<\/a><\/p>\n

Although it is hard to pick just one Simberloff paper, I think I have to go with Rhymer and Simberloff (1996)<\/a>. I became fascinated with invasive plants during a year working on plant conservation in the Great Basin. Every day I saw the immense ecological consequences of biological invasions and decided to go to grad school to study evolution in invasive plants, hoping to understand how these organisms were able to thrive in environments in which they did not originally evolve. This paper opened my eyes to the potential impact of hybridization, introgression, and gene flow between the species in my study system and helped me to understand the potential implications of our recent discovery. Additionally, as someone interested in science communication, I have always admired the clear, thorough, and well-reasoned style with which Dr. Simberloff always writes, this being no exception.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Evelyn \u201cEve\u201d Beaury<\/strong>, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Oral, Invasion: Prevention And Management 1
Invaders for sale: The ongoing spread of invasive species by the plant trade industry<\/a><\/p>\n

What is your year of study at your university? What lab do you belong to?<\/em><\/p>\n

I am beginning my fourth year of my PhD in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I am part of Dr. Bethany Bradley\u2019s spatial ecology lab.<\/p>\n

What is your over-arching research topic?<\/em><\/p>\n

I study the macroecology and biogeography of invasive plant presence, abundance, and impact. I\u2019m particularly interested in research that intersects invasive species\u2019 ecology, policy, and management, as well as interactions between invasive species and global change.<\/p>\n

What Simberloff publication is most inspiring to you and why?<\/em><\/p>\n

Simberloff, D., I.M. Parker, and P.N. Windle. 2005. Introduced species policy, management, and future research needs. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 3(1):12-20. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1890\/1540-9295(2005)003[0012:ISPMAF]2.0.CO;2<\/a><\/p>\n

It is hard to choose just one, but I\u2019m currently most inspired by Simberloff et al. (2005)<\/a>. This study reviews major issues in invasive species research, policy, and management, as well as advocates for why these three domains need to be better integrated. I am inspired by this review because I am most passionate about projects that connect science to real-world problems. Although published 15 years ago, Simberloff et al. 2005 highlights a disconnect between research and implementation that is still prevalent today and which is exemplified by the work on ornamental invasive plants that I presented at ESA. This publication, and many others by Simberloff, motivates me to work on projects that impact the way we study and manage invasions in the United States.<\/p>\n

To learn more about the 2020 winners, see Biological Invasions<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Past Winners<\/h3>\n

2019<\/h4>\n

Emily Kiehnau<\/strong>, University of Oklahoma
Oral, Invasion: Species Interactions
Morphological changes of native Daphnia species in response to the invasive predator Bythotrephes longimanus<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Patrick Milligan<\/strong>, University of Florida
Oral, Invasion: Ecosystem Processes
Short-term gains and long-term losses for an East African myrmecophyte, triggered by a biological invasion<\/a><\/p>\n

To learn more about the 2019 winners, see the following publication in Biological Invasions<\/em>:<\/p>\n

Smith-Ramesh, L.M., and S. Kuebbing. 2020. Announcing the winners of the second annual Simberloff Award for outstanding presentation. Biological Invasions<\/em> 22:851\u2013852. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10530-019-02175-7<\/a><\/p>\n

2018 | Inaugural<\/h4>\n

Amanda Carr<\/strong>, Western Washington University
Oral, Invasion: Invasibility, Stability, And Diversity
Propagule pressure, not diversity or disturbance, drove long-term invader success in a serpentine grassland<\/a><\/p>\n

Carmela Buono<\/strong>, SUNY Binghamton
Poster, Invasion: Prevention And Management
Are ecological systems resilient to invasions? A systematic review of ecological response post-invasive species Management<\/a><\/p>\n

To learn more about the 2018 winners, see the following publication in Biological Invasions:<\/p>\n

Kuebbing, S.E., and L.A. Meyerson. 2018. Announcing the inaugural winners of the Simberloff Award for Outstanding Presentation<\/em>. Biological Invasions<\/em> 20:3377-3378. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10530-018-1877-y<\/a><\/p>\n

2017 | Prior to Award Dedication<\/h4>\n

Chris Bowman-Prideaux<\/strong>, University of Idaho
Oral, Ecosystem Management I
Working together: Fire and post-fire rehabilitation create homogeneous plant communities<\/a><\/p>\n

Rafael Valentin<\/strong>, Rutgers University
Oral, Genetics And Molecular Techniques
Utility of eDNA as a surveillance framework in terrestrial systems<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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