Award of Professional Excellence

Recipients | Description | Criteria | How to Nominate

Recipients:

2024

  • Susan Olcott; B.S., 1981
  • Lindsay Tudor; B.S., 1981
  • Jennifer Vashon; B.S., 1993

2023

  • R. Bradford Allen; B.S., 1979
  • Dr. Amanda Cross; M.S., 2005, Ph.D., 2012
  • Dr. David Patrick; Ph.D., 2007
  • Marcy Summers; M.W.C., 2008

2022

  • Dr. Jeffrey Hepinstall-Cymerman; Ph.D., 2000 (SFR)
  • Dr. Jeffrey Kelly; B.S., 1987
  • Steve Kendrot; B.S.,1993
  • Dr. Craig McLaughlin; Ph.D., 1998
  • David Phillips; M.S., 1994
  • Beth Swartz; B.S., 1981
  • Dr. Nathan Webb; B.S., 2003

2019

  • Thomas A. Allan; Ph.D., 1984
  • John A. Easterbrooks; B.S. 1974
  • Carol Foss; Ph.D., 2004
  • Jessica A. Homyack; M.S., 2003
  • Stephen N. Matthews; M.S., 2003
  • Amanda K. Moors; M.S., 1993
  • Joseph E. Ware, Jr.; B.S., 1967

2018

  • Eric L. Derleth; B.S., 1978
  • John S. Gunn; B.S., 1991
  • Michael F. Lapointe; B.S., 1981
  • Michael P. Losito; B.S., 1985
  • David C. Payer; Ph.D., 1999
  • Dustin W. Perkins; B.S., 1995, Ph.D., 2004

2017

  • Jeffrey Bernatowicz; B.S., 1985
  • Peter Dunn; B.S., 1981
  • Mitch Hartley; Ph.D., 2002
  • Carl Korschgen; Ph.D., 1976
  • Sara Oyler-McCance; M.S., 1993
  • John Sinclair; B.S., 1994
  • Walter Veselka; B.S., 2000

2016

  • Richard B. Dill; B.S., 1996
  • Danielle Dimauro; M.S., 1998
  • Thomas C. Doak; B.S., 1978
  • Eli P. Fenichel; B.S., 1999
  • Arthur D. Haines; B.S., 1992
  • Christopher N. Jacques; B.S., 1995
  • Thornton B. Lauber; M.S., 1991
  • Robert L. Schooley; M.S., 1990
  • Robert D. Stratton; B.S., 1984
  • Dana B. Valleau; B.S., 1990
  • Justin K. Vreeland; B.S., 1994
  • MaryEllen Wickett; Ph.D., 1988

2015

  • David P. Boucher; B.S., 1984
  • Francis C. Braughtigam; B.S., 1985
  • *Diane Roth Eggeman; M.S., 1987
  • David M. Gouveia; B.S., 1991
  • Anne Guerry; M.S., 2000
  • Mark O’Donoghue; B.S., 1981
  • James K. Ringelman; Ph.D., 1980
  • John D. Stanton III; B.S., 1986
  • Sandra E. Staples-Bortner; B.S., 1979
  • Paul I. Strong; Ph.D., 1985
  • Johannes Subijanto; MWC, 1990

2014

  • Randall B. Boone; Ph.D., 1997
  • Jim Connolly; B.S., 1977
  • Benjamin Day; B.S., 1957
  • Jesse D’Elia; B.S., 1996
  • Angela Fuller; M.S., 1999, Ph.D., 2006
  • Gregg Horton; B.S. 1990
  • Stacey Lemieux; B.S. 1991
  • David Locke; B.S. 1956
  • Eric G. Nuse; B.S. 1970
  • Rory Saunders; B.S. 1999
  • William Whitman; Ph.D., 1974

2013

  • Margaret C. Anderson; B.S., 1974
  • Kenneth L. Beal; B.S., 1965
  • Stephen S. Ditchkoff; M.S., 1994
  • Richard C. Ferrero; B.S., 1980
  • Lewis N. Flagg; B.S., 1965
  • Angelo Incerpi; B.S., 1963
  • Frederick W. Kircheis; B.S., 1967
  • Stephen G. Rideout; B.S., 1968
  • W. Gregory Shriver; B.S., 1991

2012

  • Stephen M. Arthur; Ph.D., 1987
  • Frank Frost, III; B.S., 1991
  • Daniel G. McAuley; B.S., 1977
  • Paul W. Rego; M.S., 1984
  • Sandra Ritchie; B.S., 1980
  • Mark Scott; B.S., 1978
  • Ellen Snyder; B.S., 1982
  • Michael E. Thompson; M.S., 1987
  • Matt Vander Haegen; Ph.D., 1992
  • Andrew Whitman; M.S., 1992

2011

  • Gordon R. Batcheller; B.S., 1978
  • Bradley F. Blackwell; Ph.D., 1996
  • Catherine A. Elliott; M.S., 1982; Ph.D., 1987
  • Patrick G. R. Jodice; B.S., 1983
  • James R. Kelley; B.S., 1983
  • Alan J. Kimball; B.S., 1972
  • *Scott M. Melvin; B.S., 1975
  • Thomas F. Paragi; M.S., 1990
  • *James M. Ramakka; M.S., 1971
  • Linda J. Welch; M.S., 1994
  • Michael C. Zicus; B.S., 1970

2010

  • Roger P. AuClair; B.S., 1954
  • Jane E. Austin; B.S., 1980
  • Steve K. Chick; B.S., 1975
  • Alan Crossley; M.S., 1985
  • Phillip G. deMaynadier; Ph.D., 1996
  • Adam W. Gormely; B.S., 1995
  • Ronald D. Klataske; M.S., 1968
  • John P. Lortie; B.S., 1980
  • Steven K. Pelletier; B.S., 1980
  • Midori Saeki; M.S., 1991
  • Daniel A. Scott; B.S., 1995
  • Douglas J. Steventon; M.S., 1979
  • Rudolph F. Stocek; B.S., 1959
  • Charles S. Todd; M.S., 1979
  • Stephen C. Whalen; B.S., 1974
  • *Kate M. Wynne; M.S., 1981

2009

  • Arthur S. Allen; B.S., 1956
  • David L. Courtemanch; B.S., 1970
  • Lisa A. DeBruyckere; B.S., 1984; M.S., 1988
  • Duane R. Diefenbach; M.S., 1988
  • C. Andrew Dolloff; B.S., 1975
  • Magangu T. Enama; Ph.D., 1990
  • Stewart I. Fefer; M.S., 1976
  • James D. Fenwood; B.S., 1974
  • Cynthia J. House; B.S., 1975
  • *Jonathan A. Jenks; M.S., 1986
  • Dennis G. Jorde; Ph.D., 1986
  • Kenneth J. Reinecke; Ph.D., 1978
  • Patrick Sousa; B.S., 1973
  • G. Mark Stadler; B.S., 1975

2008

  • Thomas J. Allen; M.S., 1970a
  • John C. Baird; M.S., 1966
  • *Guy A. Baldassare; B.S., 1975
  • Lawrence S. Barden; M.S., 1968
  • Edward T. Baum; B.S., 1967
  • Peter M. Bourque; B.S., 1964
  • Alan G. Clark; B.S., 1973
  • *Herbert C. Frost; Ph.D., 1994
  • *James P. Gibbs; B.S., 1986
  • Leslie L. Glasgow; M.S., 1948a
  • John A. Litvaitis; Ph.D., 1984
  • Audrey J. Magoun; B.S., 1967
  • Dale W. May; M.S., 1981
  • *Mark A. McCollough; M.S., 1981; Ph.D. 1986
  • Deborah S. Palman; M.S., 1977
  • Sarah S. Stockwell; M.S., 1985; Ph.D. 1994
  • Michael W. Tome; M.S., 1981
  • Patrick Valkenburg; B.S., 1972

Pre – 2008

  • *Richard B. Anderson; B.S., 1957
  • *Eric G. Bolen; B.S., 1959
  • *David E. Capen; M.S., 1972
  • *Malcolm W. Coulter; M.S., 1948a
  • *Arthur A. Davis; B.S., 1947a
  • *Frederick C. Dean; M.S., 1950a
  • *Gary G. Donovan; B.S., 1968
  • *Clarence E. Faulkner; B.S., 1949
  • *Milton Friend; B.S., 1958
  • *Daniel J. Harrison; M.S., 1983; Ph.D., 1986
  • *Susan D. Haseltine; B.S., 1971
  • *Harry E. Hodgdon; B.S., 1968
  • *Malcolm L. Hunter, Jr.; B.S., 1974
  • *Alan E. Hutchinson; B.S., 1969; M.S., 1980a
  • *Edward L. Kozicky; B.S., 1941a
  • *William B. Krohn; M.S., 1969
  • *John T. Major; M.S., 1979; Ph.D., 1983
  • *Merwin A. Marston; M.S. 1939a
  • *Paul R. Nickerson; B.S., 1966
  • *Russell T. Norris; B.S., 1938a
  • *Lee E. Perry; B.S., 1967
  • *Jim D. Rearden; M.S., 1950
  • *William L. Robinson; M.S., 1959a
  • *F. Victor Schmidt; B.S. 1942
  • *Matthew Scott; B.S., 1962
  • *James M. Shepard; B.S., 1949a
  • *Richard N. Smith; B.S., 1959
  • *Robert B. Weeden; M.S., 1955
  • *Gary C. White; M.S., 1972
  • *G. Bruce Wiersma; B.S., 1964
  • *Pralad B. Yonzon; Ph.D., 1989a

*Graduates with asterisks in front of their names have also received the Distinguished Wildlife Alum Award in the past. Future recipients of the Distinguished Alum Award will be chosen from the recipients of the Award of Professional Excellence.

a – deceased

Description:

The University of Maine’s Forestry and Wildlife Alumni Association (former name) and the Department of Wildlife Ecology historically (i.e., 1978-2007) presented one award per year, the Distinguished Wildlife Alum.  This award is given for extraordinary, long-term contributions to the wildlife profession and wildlife conservation.  Persons receiving this award usually speak at the Department’s spring awards ceremony.  Honorees’ names are engraved on a plaque that resides in Nutting Hall.  This award dates back to 1978 and the list of alums making outstanding contributions to our profession exceeds the rate at which this award is presented.

In 2008, given that the Wildlife Program at the University of Maine has been in existence since 1936 (with the formation of the Maine Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit), and that many accomplished professionals from this program are not receiving the recognition they deserve, the faculty of the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology (formerly the Department of Wildlife Ecology) decided to initiate a second award, the Award of Professional Excellence.

The purpose of the Award of Professional Excellence is to recognize long-term excellence in service to the professions of wildlife, fisheries, and conservation biology by our former students (graduate or undergraduate).  The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology realizes that significant numbers of students receiving degrees from these programs have served their profession long and well, and by doing so have honored themselves and the Department.  The numbers of individuals deserving of recognition exceeds the one award per year that had been tradition.  Thus, another form of recognition was needed that could additionally honor one or multiple individuals in a year.

 

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Criteria and Procedure:

The Wildlife Alum Committee, consisting of graduates of the Wildlife Program (including some former recipients of the Distinguished Wildlife Alum Award) and faculty will review a list of graduates and recommend a set of candidates to receive the Award of Professional Excellence.  Recommendations will be based on outstanding and long-term (> 15 yrs. post-graduation) contributions to the wildlife profession, including aquatic sciences, conservation biology, fisheries, wildlife ecology, and natural resource management.  Alums will be considered eligible to receive this award if they have received a B.S. degree in Wildlife Management or Wildlife Ecology from the University of Maine, or if they were a graduate student advised or co-advised by a member of the Full Graduate Faculty in the Department.  These recommendations will be forwarded to the faculty for final approval.  The Department Chair will forward a certificate of recognition to each recipient and post his/her name on the “Registry of Professional Excellence of University of Maine Wildlife Graduates” on the department’s web site.  This registry will include the recipient’s names, and date(s) of degree(s) from the University of Maine.  Recipients of the Award of Professional Excellence will be the pool from which the recipient of the Distinguished Wildlife Alum Award will be selected.  In general, the latter award will focus on persons in the middle of their career, whereas the Distinguished Wildlife Alum Award is focused on persons senior in their career.

How can you nominate someone?:

Please submit your candidate’s name, with the date they graduated and the degree they received, along with a list of achievements and/or copies of resumes, newspaper articles, journal articles, other awards received, etc. Information can be emailed to Wildeco@maine.edu or mailed to Alum Committee; Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology; 5755 Nutting Hall – Room 210; Orono, ME 04469.

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