NSFA 2011 faculty awards

The College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture announces the winners of this year’s faculty awards.

NSFA Outstanding Public Service Award—2011

Entomologist Andrei Alyokhin’s primary research focus is on potato insect pest management, with a secondary focus on the ecology of invasive insect species, an expertise that is critical for Maine’s potato growers. To meet their need for information, he has developed several outreach programs including a web site about the Colorado potato beetle, insecticide screenings at Aroostook Farm, on-farm testing programs to evaluate insecticide resistance, and a wireworm management program. Andrei extends his knowledge throughout the state by serving on the Maine Board of Pesticide Control and through entomology programs that he presents to Maine’s school-aged children. A strong supporter of the Maine Entomology Society, Andrei volunteers his time to encourage and support the efforts of Maine’s amateur entomologists and takes part in the insect bioblitzes held at Acadia National Park. He has also taken the lead in working to save the UMaine insect collection, a valuable resource that has been largely neglected for a number of years. In addition to his service to industry and the people of Maine, Andrei serves his profession on editorial boards and as a manuscript and grant proposal reviewer. It is clear through his actions that Andrei Alyokhin considers public service to be an important part of his role as a land grant researcher, and the college is pleased to award him the 2011 Outstanding Public Service Award.

NSFA Outstanding Research Award—2011

Rebecca Holberton’s has an international reputation as a leader in the field of stress physiology and its measurement in birds. She has been a leader in the development of the new Northeast Regional Migration Monitoring Network—a groundbreaking collaborative research and monitoring effort among Canadian and American researchers, which has already made significant contributions to our knowledge of bird migration in the Gulf of Maine. Rebecca is a productive scientist who has published 19 peer-reviewed manuscripts in the last five years. In 2006, she was elected as a “fellow” in the American Ornithologists’ Union in recognition of her professional contributions, and in 2007, she received a Harvard Forest Bullard Fellowship. While her research is of international significance, Rebecca’s work on migratory corridors and coastal habitat for birds is extremely important for the state of Maine and its efforts to develop sustainable offshore wind projects. She shares her expertise as a manuscript and grant proposal reviewer, with her graduate and undergraduate students, and with area conservation agencies, such as the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge. In the words of one of her colleagues “she is… a true explorer who is not afraid to reinvent herself as new questions arise and the needs of our state change.” The college is pleased to award Rebecca the 2011 Outstanding Research Award.

NSFA Outstanding Teaching Award—2011

Lindsay Seward believes there is no room for complacency in teaching, so she is constantly evaluating and modifying her strategies and techniques. She regularly takes part in workshops and attends national meetings to improve her teaching and increase student engagement in her classes. Her courses emphasize experiential learning and materials that help students gain real-world skills. Lindsay has a unique role in the Department of Wildlife Ecology, teaching students from their first year through their senior capstone experience. This allows her to foster close relationships with her students, and they come to her for both personal and professional advice. In many cases, they maintain contact with her long after graduation. Lindsay’s colleagues appreciate her extraordinary efforts to steward students and ensure that they graduate with essential skills, confidence, and a sense of purpose. Lindsay’s students find her enthusiasm contagious, her ability to explain difficult concepts exceptional, and her friendship and support inspirational. According to some of her students, “Lindsay is the hub of everything that happens in our small, close-knit department.” The college is delighted to award Lindsay Seward the 2011 Outstanding Teaching Award.