2018 Distinguished Landscape Practitioner Award
Sam Cushman
Sam Cushman will be one of two recipients of the 2018 Distinguished Landscape Practitioner Award by the United States Chapter of the International Association for Landscape Ecology (US-IALE). This honor is bestowed to individuals who have made outstanding contributions over a period of years to the application of the principles of landscape ecology to real-world problems. Dr. Cushman will receive the award, along with Dr. James “Jim” Wickham, of the US Environmental Protection Agency at the US-IALE meeting in Chicago, IL, in April 2018.
Dr. Cushman is Research Landscape Ecologist in the Forests and Woodlands Ecosystems Research Program of the Rocky Mountain Research Station, of the US Forest Service, in Flagstaff Arizona. He is the Team Leader for the RMRS Landscape Ecology Working Group, and Director of the Center for Landscape Science, a RMRS research Center of Excellence. His work as a practitioner includes advancing the field of landscape genetics through the development of computer simulations to model gene flow and population connectivity in heterogenous landscapes. He has contributed to other software developments that have helped to advance landscape ecology, including FRAGSTATS, CDPOP and RMLands, and has provided analytical support for organizations seeking to make use of these tools. In addition, he is a prolific author, with more than 160 peer-reviewed publications since the year 200.
In addition to his expertise in tool development, Dr. Cushman is recognized for his contributions to real-world conservation projects both in the US (in more than a dozen western States) and around the world, including in Africa, Asia and Europe. He has also dedicated large amounts of time to outreach and education, to help spread the use of novel tools and best practices to forest managers within the USFS as part of the National Advanced Silviculture Program and to managers and scientists around the world. He has hosted more than 10 visiting scientists from around the world for visits lasting from three months to a full year, which has enabled them to receive advanced training in landscape ecology and foster international collaborations and conservation initiatives.
His principal nominator, Dr. Kevin McGarigal states that “Sam has been a phenomenal ambassador for landscape ecology”. A colleague within the USFS feels that “he has a tremendous track record of provide analytical support for many organizations across the world seeking to solve real-world conservation challenges. His work is really making a difference worldwide! Very few can claim such an honor.” A colleague at Oxford University, Dr. David Macdonald, who worked with Dr. Cushman on a variety of projects in Africa and Asia highlights that in addition to his technical proficiencies, he “has become increasingly dedicated and effective at leading multi-disciplinary and highly collaborative conservation and management applications. He has unusual strengths in team building, strategic thinking, problem solving, and multi-disciplinary collaboration. He is passionately dedicated to bridging the growing void between academic science and societal understanding.”
For more information about Dr. Sam Cushman, please visit https://www.fs.fed.us/research/people/profile.php?alias=scushman.
Sam Cushman will be one of two recipients of the 2018 Distinguished Landscape Practitioner Award by the United States Chapter of the International Association for Landscape Ecology (US-IALE). This honor is bestowed to individuals who have made outstanding contributions over a period of years to the application of the principles of landscape ecology to real-world problems. Dr. Cushman will receive the award, along with Dr. James “Jim” Wickham, of the US Environmental Protection Agency at the US-IALE meeting in Chicago, IL, in April 2018.
Dr. Cushman is Research Landscape Ecologist in the Forests and Woodlands Ecosystems Research Program of the Rocky Mountain Research Station, of the US Forest Service, in Flagstaff Arizona. He is the Team Leader for the RMRS Landscape Ecology Working Group, and Director of the Center for Landscape Science, a RMRS research Center of Excellence. His work as a practitioner includes advancing the field of landscape genetics through the development of computer simulations to model gene flow and population connectivity in heterogenous landscapes. He has contributed to other software developments that have helped to advance landscape ecology, including FRAGSTATS, CDPOP and RMLands, and has provided analytical support for organizations seeking to make use of these tools. In addition, he is a prolific author, with more than 160 peer-reviewed publications since the year 200.
In addition to his expertise in tool development, Dr. Cushman is recognized for his contributions to real-world conservation projects both in the US (in more than a dozen western States) and around the world, including in Africa, Asia and Europe. He has also dedicated large amounts of time to outreach and education, to help spread the use of novel tools and best practices to forest managers within the USFS as part of the National Advanced Silviculture Program and to managers and scientists around the world. He has hosted more than 10 visiting scientists from around the world for visits lasting from three months to a full year, which has enabled them to receive advanced training in landscape ecology and foster international collaborations and conservation initiatives.
His principal nominator, Dr. Kevin McGarigal states that “Sam has been a phenomenal ambassador for landscape ecology”. A colleague within the USFS feels that “he has a tremendous track record of provide analytical support for many organizations across the world seeking to solve real-world conservation challenges. His work is really making a difference worldwide! Very few can claim such an honor.” A colleague at Oxford University, Dr. David Macdonald, who worked with Dr. Cushman on a variety of projects in Africa and Asia highlights that in addition to his technical proficiencies, he “has become increasingly dedicated and effective at leading multi-disciplinary and highly collaborative conservation and management applications. He has unusual strengths in team building, strategic thinking, problem solving, and multi-disciplinary collaboration. He is passionately dedicated to bridging the growing void between academic science and societal understanding.”
For more information about Dr. Sam Cushman, please visit https://www.fs.fed.us/research/people/profile.php?alias=scushman.
