Grants-in-Aid

Chair

• R. D. Stevens (richard.stevens@ttu.edu)

Members

History and Mission

The Grants-in Aid Committee was formed in 1971 (Gill and Wozencraft, 1994) to enhance and support graduate research by identifying and funding research proposals pertaining to mammals. Additionally, this committee nominates the outstanding graduate students that best meet the conditions and criteria set forth for the American Society of Mammalogists Fellowship and the Albert R. and Alma Shadle Fellowship.

2014 Albert R. and Alma Shadle Fellowship Recipient

The Albert R. and Alma Shadle Fellowship is awarded to a graduate student in recognition of current accomplishments in Mammalogy and future potential.  This year the award is $4,237.  In addition, the Shadle Fellow receives a set of ASM Special Publications and other literature valuing approximately $2000.  This year’s recipient of the Albert R. and Alma Shadle award is Nicté Ordóñez-Garza from Texas Tech University.

Ms. Ordóñez has been a member of The American Society of Mammalogists for 10 years.  She has published 22 manuscripts in books and journals including three in the Journal of Mammalogy and one Mammalian Species account.  Ms. Ordóñez has presented her research results at ASM meetings three times and has garnered research funds, travel awards and fellowships to the sum of $126,000 from agencies such as the Fulbright Foundation and ASM’s Grants-in-Aid of Research program.  Ms. Ordóñez has served on multiple ASM committees including the Conservation Awards Committee, International Relations Committee and the Systematic Collections Committee. Also of note is that our recipient was president of the Guatemalan Society of Mammalogists from 2010 to 2011and has been instrumental in terms of editing Spanish abstracts for the Journal of Mammalogy for a number of years.

Ms. Ordóñez has been described as “truly an outstanding individual and is developing into one of the best students I have had.”  Her abilities in the field have been described as “far above average compared to many professional biologists.”  Finally, she has been described as “a remarkable young scientist with a set goal to return to Latin America and develop a mammalogy program that will nurture future generations of scientists in Latin America.”

Ms. Ordóñez’s research focuses on using phylogeographic approaches to better understand the role of history in determining the mechanisms that structure biodiversity in Mesoamerica.  

2014 ASM Fellowship Recipient

The ASM Fellowship is the highest award made to a graduate student member of our Society.  The award is intended to recognize current outstanding accomplishments in Mammalogy, service to ASM, as well as the potential for a productive, future role in professional Mammalogy.  This year the award is $7,500, a set of ASM Special Publications, and a set of other literary material valued at approximately $2000.  The recipient of the 2014 American Society of Mammalogists Award is Melissa Merrick from the University of Arizona.

Ms. Merrick is the author of 11 publications, including three Mammalian Species accounts.  Other outlets include: Journal of Wildlife Management, Journal of Experimental Biology, Environmental Entomology, the Southwestern Naturalist and Endangered Species Research. She has received 21 grants and honorary awards including a Grant-in-Aid of Research and two travel awards from our society.  Ms. Merrick has presented results of her research at ASM meetings three times.  She has served our society by reviewing for the Journal of Mammalogy as well as serving on the Education and Graduate Student Committee and the Public Outreach and Education Committee.  She was elected to the ASM Board of Directors at our annual meeting in 2014.

Ms. Merrick has been described as “a clear leader among her peers that would rank in the top 3-4% of all the students I have advised.”  She “has a long and substantial academic record that epitomizes excellence in mammalogy, research and public outreach.” One reference writer wrote “I anticipate that she will emerge from her Ph. D. experience as a true star and leader in the field of mammalian ecology in a way that few graduate students are able.”

Ms. Merrick’s research addresses the proximate cues and ultimate fitness consequences of juvenile exploration and settlement during the dispersal process.  In particular she focusses on Mt. Graham red squirrels to test effects of natal habitat, behavioral phenotypes, and forest fragmentation on emigration, exploration, and settlement to assess the ultimate consequences of settlement decisions, namely, time to settlement, survivorship, and reproductive success.

• The 2014 Annual Report of the Grants-in-Aid Committee
• The 2013 Annual Report of the Grants-in-Aid Committee
• The 2012 Annual Report of the Grants-in-Aid Committee
• The 2011 Annual Report of the Grants-in-Aid Committee
• The 2010 Annual Report of the Grants-in-Aid Committee
• The 2009 Annual Report of the Grants-in-Aid Committee
• The 2008 Annual Report of the Grants-in-Aid Committee
• The 2007 Annual Report of the Grants-in-Aid Committee
• The 2006 Annual Report of the Grants-in-Aid Committee
• The 2005 Annual Report of the Grants-in-Aid Committee
• The 2004 Annual Report of the Grants-in-Aid Committee
• The 2004 Annual Report of the Grants-in-Aid Committee

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAMMALOGISTS FELLOWSHIP IN MAMMALOGY

A single graduate fellowship in mammalogy is provided annually by the Board of Directors of ASM at the recommendation of the Grants-in-Aid Committee. The amount of the award for the academic year 2010-2011 has been set at $10,000, and also will include a set of the available ASM Special Publications. The fellowship is intended to recognize current accomplishments in mammalogy, service to ASM, and the potential for a productive, future role in professional mammalogy. Applicants may be any graduate student members of ASM enrolled at a college or university for the forthcoming academic year and engaged in research in mammalogy. See the grants page for current application, instructions, and submission dates.

ALBERT R. AND ALMA SHADLE FELLOWSHIP IN MAMMALOGY

A single graduate fellowship in mammalogy is provided annually by the Albert R. and Alma Shadle Endowment Fund. The award is made by the Buffalo Foundation at the recommendation of the Grants-in-Aid Committee of ASM. Generally, the award is approximately $4,000-4,500. In addition, a set of ASM Special Publications and Mammalian Species will be presented to the Shadle Fellow. The fellowship is intended to promote a professional career in mammalogy by allowing the recipient greater freedom to pursue research, but is not a grant in support of a specific research project. Applicants must be enrolled as graduate students in a college or university in the United States and be engaged in research in any area of mammalogy. See the grants page for current application, instructions, and submission dates.

GRANTS-IN-AID OF RESEARCH

Awards are made available by the Board of Directors of the Society in amounts not to exceed $1500.00 (US) to graduate and upper-level undergraduate students who are members of the Society at the time of application. Awards primarily will be for support of field or laboratory work in any area of mammalogy, or for the purchase of supplies and small items of equipment related to such research. See the grants page for current application, instructions, and submission dates.

ALBERT R. AND ALMA SHADLE FELLOWSHIP

presented by the Buffalo Foundation to a student enrolled in a university/college in the United States to promote a professional career in mammalogy by allowing the recipient greater freedom to pursue research

1970-1979

• 1972—James Joule, University of Houston;
• 1972—William J. Bleier, Texas Tech University
• 1973—Philip D. Gingerich, Yale University
• 1974—Patricia W. Freeman, University of New Mexico
• 1975—Thomas J. O’Shea, Northern Arizona University
• 1976—John L. Hoogland, University of Michigan
• 1977—Ira F. Greenbaum, Texas Tech University
• 1978—Kenneth D. Rose, University of Michigan
• 1979—Peter V. August, Boston University

1980-1989

• 1980—Michael A. Bowers, University of Arizona
• 1981—Gary G. Kwiecinski, Cornell University
• 1982—W. Christopher Wozencraft, University of Kansas
• 1983—Duke S. Rogers, University of California, Berkeley
• 1984—Craig S. Hood, Texas Tech University
• 1985—Robert M. Sullivan, University of New Mexico
• 1986—Cynthia E. Rebar, Kansas State University
• 1987—Kimberlyn Nelson, Harvard University
• 1988—Ronald A. Van Den Bussche, Texas Tech University
• 1989—Brett R. Riddle, University of New Mexico

1990-1999

• 1990—Robert D. Bradley, Texas Tech University
• 1991—Craig L. Frank, University of California, Irvine
• 1992—Jennifer K. Frey, University of New Mexico
• 1993—James W. Demastes, Louisiana State University
• 1994—Douglas A. Kelt, University of New Mexico
• 1995—Theresa A. Spradling, Louisiana State University
• 1996—Dawn M. Kaufman, University of New Mexico
• 1997—Link Olson, University of Chicago
• 1998—Thomas Risch, Auburn University
• 1999—Jay F. Storz, Boston University

2000-2009

• 2000—Sara Kathleen Lyons, University of Chicago
• 2001—Steven R. Hoofer, Oklahoma State University
• 2002—Christine L. Hice, Texas Tech University
• 2003—Antoinette J. Piaggio, University of Colorado, Boulder
• 2004—Jacob R. Goheen, University of New Mexico
• 2005—Sergio Solari, Texas Tech University
• 2006—Ryan Norris, University of Vermont
• 2007—Paul Velasco, University of Illinois, Chicago
• 2008—Andrew Edelman, University of New Mexico
• 2009—Brandi Coyner, Oklahoma State University

2010+

• 2010—Bret Pasch, University of Florida
• 2011—Justin Lack, Oklahoma State University
• 2012—C. Miguel Pinto, American Museum of Natural History and City University of New York
• 2013—Joseph R. Burger, University of New Mexico
• 2014—Nicté Ordóñez-Garza, Texas Tech University

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAMMALOGISTS FELLOWSHIP

presented to a student in recognition of current accomplishments in mammalogy, service to ASM, and the potential for a productive, future role in professional mammalogy

2000-2009

• 2001—Richard D. Stevens, Texas Tech University
• 2002—Andrew McAdam, University of Alberta
• 2003—Debra M. Shier, University of California, Davis
• 2004—Kristofer M. Helgen, South Australia Museum, Adelaide
• 2005—Jacob R. Goheen, University of New Mexico
• 2006—Sergio Solari, Texas Tech University
• 2007—Justin Boyles, Indiana State University
• 2008—Jacob Esselstyn, University of Kansas
• 2009—Jonathan Pauli, University of Wyoming

2010+

• 2010—Peter Larsen, Texas Tech University
• 2011—Bret Pasch, University of Florida
• 2012—Ryan Long, Idaho State University
• 2013—C. Miguel Pinto, American Museum of Natural History
• 2014—Melissa Merrick, University of Arizona