Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North America Announces Award Winners

Newswise — The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) presented seven awards at the 27th annual SETAC North America meeting in Montreal on November 5, 2006. Awards honored dedicated, long-term members and recognized the accomplishments of student members.

The Founders Award, the society's highest honor, was presented to Keith Solomon from the University of Guelph, who has a doctorate in entomology, in recognition of his strong record of publication in the world's leading peer reviewed environmental science journals, his global scientific leadership, and his intense involvement with scientific and advisory committees in North America, South America, Europe, and at the United Nations.

The Herb Ward Exceptional Service Award was presented to Graeme Batley, who has doctorates in philosophy and science and is current director and chief research scientist at the Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research (CECR), a division of the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Batley's longstanding involvement with SETAC and leadership in the fields of environmental chemistry and contaminant risk assessment in aquatic environments led to his selection.

SETAC gave the Government Service Award to Environment Canada's Rick Scroggins in recognition of his technical contributions at the local, national and global levels in the areas of risk assessment, environmental monitoring and the development of standardized methods. The SETAC Government Service Award recognizes outstanding dedication and service by a scientist or scientific organization toward promoting the collective application of environmental toxicology and chemistry to risk assessment in a government function.

The highly coveted SETAC/EA Engineering Jeff Black Award went to Amanda Harwood, a student at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale for her master's research proposal, "Temperature and Piperonyl Butoxide as Components of Toxicity Identification Evaluations for Pyrethroid Insecticides." The award is in recognition of Jeff Black's life in science and his contributions to SETAC and is given to a SETAC student member or entering student pursuing a master's degree in a field of study encompassed by the society. The award is co-sponsored by SETAC and EA Engineering and includes a $2,000 (USD) award.

The Roy F. Weston Environmental Chemistry Award was presented to Rainer Lohmann, who has a doctorate in environmental science and is assistant professor at the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island. The award is intended to encourage the advancement of environmental problem solving and to support the professional development of young scientists. The award is given to a scientist under age 40 for contributions made in the field of environmental chemistry.

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society consisting of
individuals and institutions dedicated to the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems, the management and regulation of natural resources, environmental education, and research and development.