Suchinta Arif and I are grateful to the Tri-Society (American Society of Naturalists, Society for the Study of Evolution, and the Society of Systematic Biologists) for granting us (Diversity of Nature) the honor of the 2022 IDEA Award. We also extend a warm thank you to our colleague and friend Mason Stothart for his continued support, allyship, and kindness - he put together an incredible nomination portfolio for us representing an immense amount of work.
We are so pleased to see the culture of science moving to be more inclusive and welcoming, and initiatives like this one go a long way to promote a paradigm shift towards inclusive metrics of success that improve science for everyone. We are continuing on our own journeys of learning to be as inclusive and equitable as possible and hope that readers may be inspired to share their own passion for science with those who do not have the same privilged opportunities to be involved.
In truth this has been a very difficult year for me and I'm grateful for these reminders of how my work can meaningfully impact others. I'd like to extend one last thank-you to my late advisor Dr. Jeff Hutchings, without your support, guidance, and ecouragement I would no longer be part of the academy. Thank you Jeff, here's to you.
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To read more on the award, click here.
"The ASN/SSE/SSB Inclusiveness, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Award was created in 2019 by the American Society of Naturalists (ASN), the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE), and the Society of Systematic Biologists (SSB). The IDEA Award is given to a person at any career stage who has strengthened the ecology and evolutionary biology community by promoting inclusiveness and diversity in our fields. The award can also be presented to a group. The recipient will receive a plaque at the annual meeting of ASN/SSB/SSE and a $1000 honorarium. Recipients are also encouraged to submit an accompanying article on their IDEA work (primary research, review, insight or commentary and made freely available) to the relevant ASN/SSE/SSB society journal. Published articles would highlight the award obtained. Nominations are due in January of each year."