Ann Marie Gawel, a graduate student pursuing her master’s degree in biology at UOG, applied for the ecoservice award for the environmental work she has done for her community beyond academia.
“I thought I should apply for it because of work I have done with UOG Green, Micronesia Challenge, and with an environmental nonprofit started by me and a couple of friends, the Guam Environmental Alliance,” said Gawel.
Gawel will travel to Austin, Texas to participate in the annual conference of the Ecological Society of America, which begins Aug. 7.
She will be presenting on some of the results from her current thesis project. Currently she is studying the ecological roles of introduced deer and pigs in the limestone forests of Guam.
During this conference, student awards will be presented by the Union of Concerned Scientists in partnership with the Student Section of the Ecological Society of America, honoring young scientists for the contributions to the discipline of ecology that have extended beyond the realm of academia and into the broader community of which they are a part, stated a UOG press release.
The award will consist of a cash prize of at least $300 and a commemorative plaque.
A panel that includes the boards of both the ESA-SS and UCS will evaluate each applicant’s contributions to outreach, ecoservice and environmental justice.
The goal of this award is to engage young ecologists in research that reaches beyond inquiry and into application, outreach, and education. The theme of the 96th annual ESA meeting is “Earth Stewardship: Preserving and enhancing the earth’s life-support systems.”
“I am excited that the Ecological Society is honoring achievements that are not just academic, but that extend to the environment and to human communities,” said Gawel.
Gawel was informed Tuesday via email that she will be one of the finalists receiving a monetary award and $300 for travel expenses.
The award ceremony is next Tuesday where they will announce the winner of the ecoservice award, along with a number of other awards that the ESA recognizes for students.
