New York Chapter of
The Wildlife Society
AWARDS
NEW YORK CHAPTER OF THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY
Nominations for Chapter awards are sought on an annual basis. The awards continue an annual endeavor by the Chapter to recognize contributions to the wildlife profession by highly qualified individuals. Award recipients will be determined by a majority vote of the members of the Executive Committee, sitting as a Nominations and Awards Committee, and chaired by either the Past-President or President-elect. Nominations will be considered for the following awards:
Outstanding Professional: This award will be made to a wildlife professional, or group of wildlife professionals working together, for outstanding professional accomplishments in the wildlife field in New York State. Included in the criteria for judging the professional excellence of the nominees will be contributions to knowledge, innovation, importance, applicability, and leadership in any facet of wildlife work including research, management, preservation, conservation, administration, education, and enforcement. Nominees for the award need not be members of NY-TWS. The person making the nomination must be a currently active member of NY-TWS, NE Section of TWS, The Wildlife Society, or a student chapter of TWS.
Outstanding Conservationist: This award will be made to an individual, or group of individuals working together, outside the wildlife profession for significant contributions to the field of wildlife management; for furthering public understanding of the wildlife resource; or for developing, initiating, or coordinating programs in the wildlife management field which have notably enhanced the wildlife resource in New York State.
Stuart Free Award: This award acknowledges a legacy of diligent, focused, hard work. The award will recognize the effort of individuals or groups who have exhibited tenacious effort and diligent professional service in a manner that is inspiring to their peers, and a cumulative contribution that has been overlooked or taken for granted. Like the Outstanding Professional Award, it is intended to encourage and reward the work, accomplishments and important contributions of an individual or group as opposed to a specific accomplishment.
Honorary Members: This designation is conferred to persons who, by a majority vote of all Chapter members, have been thus recognized for their achievements; they do not pay dues but have all benefits of membership.
Outstanding Student: Awards will be considered for outstanding students in the following two categories:
Outstanding graduate from a four-year school. The student must have received a bachelor’s degree from a New York State institution.
Outstanding graduate from a two-year school. The student must have received an associate’s degree from a New York State institution.
Note: At its July 30, 1993 meeting, the NYTWS Executive Committee voted to drop the requirements that recipients of the Outstanding Student Awards be currently registered as students. This vote reflects a decision that these awards are intended to recognize past performance.
Procedure:
Letters of nomination should be as detailed and specific as possible and reflect the true quality of the candidates. Selection of the recipients of the awards will be based entirely on the information submitted about the nominee to the Nominations and Awards Committee. Each nomination must be received by December 31 and should include the following information:
Nominee’s full name, present position or institution, address, and phone number.
A clear statement supporting the nomination including specific information on the nature of the accomplishment (who, what, where, when, why). General statements are very difficult to evaluate.
Supporting information such as publications, newspaper articles about the candidate or his/her programs, photographs; letters of recommendation from peers, supervisors and teachers; listing of outside activities, community service, volunteer organizations, etc.
The Chapter Awards continue an annual endeavor by our Chapter to recognize contributions to the wildlife profession by highly qualified individuals.
Past Award Recipients
Outstanding Professional
1980 Ronald Howard
1981 Gary Parsons
1983 Robert Darrow
1984 Gene Hocutt
1985 Robert Chambers
1987 George Teidman
1990 Peter Nye
1992 Harlan Brumsted
1993 Human Dimensions Research Unit
1994 Milo Richmond
1995 Gordon Batcheller
1997 David Kunstler
1999 Bryan Swift
2000 James F. Farquhar III
2001 NYS Cooperative Fish and
Wildlife Research Unit
Richard B. Chipman and USDA
Wildlife Services staff “Fresh Kill
Landfill Emergency Response
Project”
2002 George Mattfeld
Drusilla Pagan
2004 Angie Berchielli
2005 Michael Losito
Adirondack Ecological Center
2006 James Beemer
2007 Ward Stone
2012 Jeremy Hurst
2013 Wildlife Health Unit (NYSDEC & Cornell)
2015 Mark Kiburz
2017 Kevin Berner
2018 Dave McDougall
2019 Roger Masse
2021 Jacqueline Frair
2022 Dr. Elizabeth Bunting & Dr. Krysten Schuler
2023 Allen Gosser
Outstanding Conservationist
1980 Roger Chase
1981 Gordon Meade
1984 Robert Boice
1985 Wally John
1994 William Schwerd
1996 Stuart Free
1998 Montezuma Focus Area
Implementation Team
2000 CARA “Team”- Howard Cushing,
Mary-Alice Koeneke, John Major,
John Matusewicz, Bud Woodfield,
Kevin J. Lowry, and Kevin Berner &
SUNY Cobleskill Students
2004 Nuisance Wildlife Control Manual
– Development Team
2007 Robert Chambers
2012 Sean Mahar
2017 Alan Tousignant
2018 Upper Susquehanna Coalition
2019 Angie Berchielli
2022 Alvin Breisch
Stuart Free Award
2000 Joe Dell
2001 Lou Berchielli
2003 John Ozard
2003 Kevin Berner
2007 Jane Graves
2011 Valorie Titus
2022 Irene Mazzocchi
Honorary Member
1987 C. W. Severinghaus (Parent Society)
Outstanding Student
1980 Dan Pisaniello (Cornell)
1981 Andrew Behrend (CESF)
1984 David Santillo (CESF)
1990 Ricky Relyea (CESF)
1991 Barbara Teetsel (CESF)
1993 Mitschka Hartley (Cornell)
1995 Jeanne Hickey (CESF)
1996 Joe Therrien (Cobleskill)
1998 Seth Bathrick (Cobleskill)
Lee Lattimer (Cobleskill)
1999 Ian Trefrey (Cobleskill – 2yr.)
Kevin Lowry (Cobleskill – 4yr.)
2000 Amy Mazurkiwecz (Cobleskill – 2 yr.)
Christopher J. Butler (Cornell – 4 yr.)
2001 Johanna Duffy (Cobleskill – 2yr.)
2002 Jason Beeler (Cobleskill – 2yr.)
2003 Michael Anderson (Cornell – 4 yr.)
2005 Selinda Schlierman (Cobleskill – 4yr.)
2011 Krysten Zummo (Cobleskill)
2011 Sara Hansen (SUNY ESF - grad)
2012 Anna Kusler (Cornell)
2013 Jenna Dobb (Paul Smiths)
2016 Briana All (Cobleskill)
2017 Katherine Findlay (Cobleskill)
2018 Colin Mulcahy (Cobleskill)
2019 Colby Slezak (Cobleskill)
2020 Ashling McMahon (Cobleskill)
2021 Bailey Goodson (Cobleskill)
2022 Korah Witherell (Cobleskill)
2023 Jessie Magno (Cobleskill)