Award Judges

Student Award Judges

The Ecological Society of America invites volunteers to serve as judges for the 2026 ESA Annual Meeting student presentation awards in Salt Lake City. Judges play an important role in recognizing outstanding student research and supporting the next generation of ecologists.

Judges are needed for the following awards:

• Murray F. Buell Award – student oral presentations
• E. Lucy Braun Award – student poster presentations

Responsibilities & Eligibility

Judges are asked to:

• Sign up to review 5 (ideally) or more student presentations
• Attend assigned oral or poster presentations
• Engage with presenters and ask questions
• Complete a brief online evaluation form for each presentation

Judges may not volunteer to evaluate presentations where a conflict of interest exists (e.g., an advisee, member of your research group, close collaborator, personal friend, or someone whose thesis committee you serve on).

It is helpful though not required for judges to have experience evaluating scientific research and presentations. Students are not eligible to serve as judges.

Evaluation Criteria

Presentations are evaluated based on:

• Significance of ideas — How important or impactful is the work?
• Creativity — Does it show originality or innovative thinking?
• Quality of methodology — Are methods sound and appropriate?
• Validity of conclusions — Do the results support the claims?
• Clarity of presentation — How well is the work communicated?

Thank you for your interest in supporting ESA students and their research. Your participation helps recognize outstanding work and supports the next generation of ecologists.

How to Volunteer