dgregg on 20 Mar 2008 02:52 pm
Distinguished Naturalist Award
Rhode Island Distinguished Naturalist Award
The Rhode Island Distinguished Naturalist Award is presented by the Rhode Island Natural History Survey to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to advancing our knowledge of Rhode Island’s organisms, geology, and ecosystems. In particular, we want to identify those who have excelled in one or more of the following areas:
- made significant contributions in the advancement of scientific knowledge of Rhode Island’s organisms, geology, and ecosystems as evidenced by published books, scientific papers, and monographs;
- is recognized as an outstanding teacher and educator to students and the public on the form, functions, and ecological significance of Rhode Island’s biota and natural systems;
- made significant contributions in enhancing public awareness of the importance of understanding the natural history of Rhode Island’s ecosystems.
Recipients of the RINHS Distinguished Naturalist Award
Irene H. Stuckey (1995)
Richard L. Champlin (1996)
Douglas L. Kraus (1998)
Francis C. Golet (1999)
Prentice K. Stout (2000)
E. Douglas Rayner (2001)
Grace Klein-MacPhee (2002)
Hugh Willoughby (2003)
David L. Emerson (2004)
Roger D. Goos (2005)
Elise Lapham (2006)
Christopher Nerone (2007)
Richard Enser (2008)
Lisa Lofland Gould (2009)
Douglass H. Morse (2010)
Posthumous Distinguished Naturalist Awards
In 2000, the RINHS Board of Directors began a tradition of giving Posthumous Distinguished Naturalist Awards to natural historians who have helped form the basis of today’s knowledge. The posthumous awards have gone to:
2000 Elizabeth Dickens (1877-1964)
Mark Gould (1946-1999)
2002 Les Sirkin (1933-2000)
2003 Harry Hathaway (1869-1946)
2004 Harold Nelson Gibbs (1886-1970)
C. Robert Shoop (1935-2003)
2005 Elmer A. Palmatier (1912-1995)
2007 Gil George (1922-1999)
2008 Ken Weber (1943-2007)
2009 William Whitman Bailey (1843-1917)
2010 William H. Drury, Jr. (1921-1992)
How to Nominate a Distinguished Naturalist
Distinguished Naturalists are selected by the RINHS Board of Directors. To nominate someone, send a letter or email to the RINHS office marked “Attention: DNA” or contact a member of the Board of Directors. In your correspondence please describe the ways in which your nominee excelled in one or more of the three criteria described above. Please include as much specific detail as possible, as we may not be personnally familiar with your nominee’s work. Decisions are made in early spring and announced at the annual RINHS conference, but nominations may be made at any time.
Past, unsuccessful nominations are kept and reconsidered every year, so if you’ve nominated someone in the past who did not win, you aren’t required to re-nominate them. You may wish to provide additional information on your nominee if you feel it would help the committee.
