The Idaho Academy of Science seeks nominations for two prestigious annual awards:
Individual with outstanding achievements in science or engineering.
Individual with outstanding achievements in communicating the meaning and values of science to students and/or the general public.
The awards will be presented at the Academy's next Annual Meeting and Symposium.
Nominees' work should be conducted in or related to the state of Idaho. That means the person may live and work in Idaho or the work that he/she has done is of specific value or interest to Idahoans. Nominees need not be members of the Idaho Academy of Science or even professional scientists so long as their accomplishments are clearly scientific or in the realm of science education. Generally, nominees must be living at the time of the nomination . . . only in truly exceptional cases would the Academy consider giving an award posthumously. Other than these conditions, any individual who has contributed substantially to science/engineering or to science communication is eligible for one of these awards.
Dr. Dwight Wray
IAS Award Program Coordinator
BYU-Idaho Dept. of Biology
Rexburg, ID 83460-1100
E-mail: wrayd@byui.edu
Phone: (208) 496-2004
Nominations must be typed and submitted in quadruplicate (four copies). All should include the following information:
- Nominee's name, address, phone number, and e-mail address.
- Nominee’s occupation/title and institutional or company affiliation (if applicable).
- A summary of the accomplishments for which the person is to be recognized (about 250 words).
- A brief biographical sketch of the nominee, including educational and professional career information.
- The nominator's name, address, phone number, and e-mail address.
- At least one seconding letter in support of the nomination, more are preferable.
But the core of the nomination is:
- A detailed description of what makes the nominee worthy of an Award.
In no more than three or four typed pages, the nominee's accomplishments should be described in broad terms, with a statement of why the work is considered outstanding. Just enough key details should be included to support the case being made. This supporting description will vary depending upon the Award and, to some extent, the nature of the nominee's accomplishments.
Nominations for Distinguished Scientist/Engineer should focus on the breakthrough qualities of his or her accomplishments. Typically, this would include a discussion of pioneering discoveries, seminal investigations, major innovations, and so on . . . always with a brief statement of why these are considered to be landmark achievements. Evidence of leadership - numerous citations of his or her publications, widespread follow-on work by others, service on technical committees and advisory groups, etc. - would do much to support the nominations. It is acceptable to include a full list of publications and patents in the nomination package, but a better approach would be to show only the most important papers and simply state the total number the nominee has to his or her credit.
Nominations for Distinguished Communicator could well cite innovation and inventiveness, but they are also likely to focus on effectiveness, impact, and influence. Outstanding achievers in education devise innovative classroom or field exercises and programs, create new and better ways to present scientific materials, find fresh ways to reach out to more students . . . they do whatever it takes to effectively convey the facts and concepts of science, and an appreciation for the scientific enterprise. Of course, providing "hard evidence" for the value of some of these accomplishments may be difficult. Sometimes the work may result in the publication of a manual, a conference paper, news articles, or even a textbook; but such opportunities are generally relatively limited. Supporting the nomination with additional "testimonials" may be the best way to show effectiveness and impact . . . but supporters should be urged to be as specific as possible. Comparable factors would also apply to other communicators - article writers, TV or movie producers, radio commentators, and so on.
They too will be judged on their effectiveness, impact, and influence. In these cases, the nomination might describe how a local series of "hit" science programs was picked up by the national media and broadcast all over the country. Perhaps a book with a science/technical theme by an Idaho author suddenly becomes a national bestseller. Maybe a lecturer from Idaho starts turning up on national public television, or becomes a "hot item" on the national lecture circuit. Such accomplishments could well qualify an individual for this award.
Completed nomination packages (4 copies please) should be submitted by February 29, 2008 to the IAS Award Program Coordinator at:
Dr. Dwight Wray
IAS Award Program Coordinator
BYU-Idaho Dept. of Biology
Rexburg, ID 83460-1100
E-mail: wrayd@byui.edu
Phone: (208) 496-2004
Nominations will remain active for a period of two years; after that, the nomination package would need to be revised and re-submitted. Additional supporting information may be submitted for addition to a nomination that is already one year old.
Nominations will be reviewed by an ad hoc panel of at least three individuals, selected by the Academy President and Executive Director. If at all possible, the group will include individuals whose work areas correspond to those of the nominees. That is, if nominees represent chemistry, science education, and civil engineering, then the panel should have representatives from each of those fields.
The panel will review all the nominations versus the criteria outlines above and makes a formal recommendation to the Executive Committee. The final decision on whether there will be an award, and to whom, will be made by the Executive Committee. The President will then contact the person(s) selected to make sure he or she will actually attend the Annual Meeting or have to accept the award in absentia.
| Distinguished Scientist - Dr. Jerry D. Christian of Idaho Falls for an outstanding career of pioneering scientific research and leadership bringing recognition to Idaho science with national and international impact. His research focused on aqueous fluoride chemistry pertinent to processing irradiated nuclear fuels at the INEEL. |
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| Distinguished Science Communicator - Dr. Russell J. Centanni, Professor of Biology at Boise State University for outstanding performance and dedication to furthering science education in the state of Idaho especially in communicating health issues ranging from HIV/AIDS to food-borne illnesses. |
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| Distinguished Scientist - Dr. Jean'ne M. Shreeve, University of Idaho for her internationally recognized research in fluorine chemistry, and for her effective research leadership as a board member of ACS and AAAS, as Idaho EPSCoR project director, and in graduate education at the University of Idaho. |  Dr. Jean'ne M. Shreeve |
| Distinguished Science Communicator - Dr. Richard J. McCloskey, Professor of Biology at Boise State University for outstanding performance and dedication to furthering science education in the state of Idaho. |  Dr. Richard J. McCloskey |
| Distinguished Scientist - Prof. Donald M. McEligot of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory for his pioneering experiments and analyses in convective thermal fluid physics and for his technical leadership in developing the World's largest Matched-Index-of-Refraction system to study complex flow phenomena. |  Prof. Donald M. McEligot |
| Distinguished Science Communicator Award - Ms. Susan M. Stacy of Boise for illuminating Idaho's rich scientific heritage, for exposing the human face of the scientific enterprise, and for recognizing that non-scientists are one of science's most important audiences. |  Ms. Susan M. Stacy |
No awards were presented in 2003.
Recipients of the two awards in 2004 were:
| Distinguished Scientist/Engineer - Dr. Richard D. Boardman of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory for exceptional leadership and innovative applications of science and engineering principles to develop and implement practical science-based solutions to unique environmental discharge problems of national importance and impact. |  Dr. Richard D. Boardman |
| Distinguished Science Communicator Award - Dr. Nicholas R. Natale of the University of Idaho for his outstanding contributions to furthering chemical education nationwide, especially for his ability to communicate the science of chemistry through everyday experiences. |  Dr. Nicholas R. Natale |
Recipients of the two awards in 2005 were:
| Distinguished Scientist/Engineer - Dr. Michael B. Laskowski of the University of Idaho for outstanding accomplishments in research and exceptional leadership and innovation in furthering biomedical research and industry in Idaho. |  Dr. Michael B. Laskowski |
| Distinguished Science Communicator Award - Ms. Rebecca A. Thorne-Ferrel of the Idaho Museum of Natural History at Idaho State University for outstanding dedication and accomplishments in the field of science education and communication. |  Ms. Rebecca A. Thorne-Ferrel |
Recipients of the two awards in 2006 were:
| Distinguished Scientist/Engineer - Dr. Joseph G. Cloud of the University of Idaho for pioneering research on the reproductive biology and conservation of salmonids, and broad ranging contributions to higher education in Idaho. |  Dr. Joseph G. Cloud |
| Distinguished Science Communicator Award - Dr. Malcolm M. Renfrew of the University of Idaho for being eminently talented as chemist, educator, and friend, and continuing to advance quality and safety in science education and research in Idaho and around the world. |  Dr. Malcolm M. Renfrew |
Recipients of the two awards in 2007 were:
| Distinguished Scientist / Engineer - Dr. Carolyn Hovde Bohach of the University of Idaho for her internationally recognized research on microbial pathogenesis and her leadership of biomedical research in the state of Idaho. |  Dr. Carolyn Hovde Bohach |
| Distinguished Science Communicator Award - Dr. Steven L. Shropshire of Idaho State University for his outstanding efforts at effectively communicating the excitement of physics among science teachers and students in Idaho and throughout the United States. |  Dr. Steven L. Shropshire |
For more information, contact:
Idaho Academy of Science
909 Lucille Ave.
Pocatello, ID 83201-2542
Phone: (208) 234-7001
E-mail: IdAcadSci@aol.com