2015 U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station Director’s Awards
On September 11, Southern Research Station (SRS) Director Rob Doudrick announced the 2015 SRS Director’s Awards, which he will present on November 17th at the SRS All Researchers Meeting in Asheville, NC. The awards follow:
Distinguished Science Award – Jeff Prestemon; Research Triangle Park, NC — For distinguished service in conducting a research program to address key policy and management issues regarding the economics of wildfire management, international trade, and management responses to natural disasters.
Science Delivery Award – Zoë Hoyle; Asheville, NC — For outstanding service in providing information (CompassLive Online Magazine) about SRS research and outreach to partners and landowners across the Southeast.
Safety and Occupational Health Award – Aaron Thigpen; Austin, TX — For outstanding service to the SRS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) unit and his commitment to identifying hazards unique to accomplishing field work in West/South Texas which helped to mitigate hazards of field-going employees.
Business Operations Support Award – FIA Administrative Group; Jim McKenzie, Joan Denman, and Russ Wilson, Knoxville, TN — For excellence in business operations support for SRS Forest Inventory and Analysis via proactive, diligent, and prompt service to a diverse and dispersed workforce.
Research Technical Support Award – Bryce Burke; Greenville, MS — For sustained excellence and innovation in technical support of research at the Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research.
Research Professional Support Award – Johnny Boggs; Raleigh, NC — For exceptional professional support in studying the impacts of forest management and climate change on water resources and ecosystem sustainability.
Customer Service Award – Kathy Flowers and Sara Smith; Otto, NC — For outstanding customer service to the public, Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory scientific staff, and the Southern Research Station.
Partnership Award – Kids in the Woods Partnership; Annie Hermansen-Baez and Wayne Zipperer, Gainesville, FL — In recognition of the outstanding and innovative approaches implemented with the Kids in the Woods program at Westwood Middle School in Gainesville, FL – a partnership between the Forest Service and several state, county, and city level organizations.