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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)

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