Center for Limnology assistant professor, Grace Wilkinson, has been elected an “early career fellow” by the Ecological Society of America (ESA). Wilkinson joins eight other ecologists from around the country in the prestigious fellowship program for a five-year term. The ESA’s fellowship program recognizes members’ contributions to ecological research and discovery, communication, education and pedagogy, and management and policy.
In it’s announcement, the ESA writes that Wilkinson was elected to acknowledge her “significant contributions to our understanding of the role of lakes in landscape and regional carbon cycling, ecosystem resilience and the dynamics of algal blooms, and for being committed to translating science to a diverse group of stakeholders and early-career scientists.”
Wilkinson says she is “honored and humbled” to be elected.
“I became a limnologist because I’ve always been fascinated by life below the surface of the water,” she says. “I’m thankful to have the opportunity to build a career pursuing fundamental ecological research while partnering with stakeholders in science-driven stewardship of our freshwater resources.”
Center for Limnology director, Jake Vander Zanden, remarks that the award is a “big deal,” as the ESA is a large society representing all of the ecological sciences at an international level. “It’s a huge honor and it is really well deserved because Grace an exceptional scientist and already an accomplished leader at this early stage in her career,” Vander Zanden says.
The Fellows program was established in 2012 with the goal of honoring ESA members and supporting their competitiveness and advancement to leadership positions in the Society, at their institutions, and in broader society. Past ESA Fellows and Early Career Fellows are listed on the ESA Fellows page.