December 12, 2007 - LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. - Supporting the development of the next generation of scientists in the fields of conservation, environmental science and park management, Canon U.S.A., Inc., in cooperation with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), today announced the 2007 Canon National Parks Science Scholars recipients.
In total, eight scholarships were awarded to doctoral students from the Americas to conduct innovative research on scientific problems critical to national parks. This year's scholarship recipients include:
- Heather Johnson, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, U.S.A.
- Isla Myers-Smith, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Mariela C. Nunez Avila, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivida, Chile
- Michele LaVigne, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.A.
- Luis Caballero, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, U.S.A.
- Shauna McGarvey, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Elizabeth Baron, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.A.
- Maria Kavanaugh, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, U.S.A.
"The mission of the Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program has been to train the next generation of conservation scientists by encouraging the best and brightest graduate students in all relevant disciplines to conduct research important to the future of national parks, and expand scientific knowledge concerning conservation and sustainability, and broadly share the knowledge gained," said William Reed, senior vice president and general manager, Corporate Communications, Canon U.S.A., Inc. "Canon Scholars have made significant contributions to science critical to the preservation of national parks. During the ten years of the program, past and present scholars have conducted research in more than 85 national parks throughout the Americas and published more than 340 scientific papers, while many have gone on to successful scientific and conservation careers."
According to Dr. Shirley Malcom, Head, Education and Human Resources, AAAS, "We are pleased to have been a partner in the Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program for the past 10 years. It is seldom that we can affect the future of conservation to this extent. Looking beyond the immediate statistics of Program impact, these Scholars will be preparing researchers for decades to come; they will be conducting and publishing research that affects the parks for generations; and they will be advocates for the values that the Program was established to achieve long into the future."
The Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program was established in 1997 in the U.S. and expanded in 2002 to include students and national parks throughout the Americas. Since its inception, more than 75 doctoral students have experienced the program.
"As a global corporate citizen, Canon is environmentally aware and understands its responsibility for the impact its makes on society and the environment. Canon is guided by the philosophy of kyosei - all people, regardless of race, religion, or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future," added Reed. "Embracing this philosophy, Canon U.S.A. supports a wide range of environmental and youth programs, like the Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program, to help preserve and conserve the planet's limited resources for future generations."
In addition to the Canon National Park Science Scholars Program, Canon U.S.A. supports the Canon Envirothon, one of North America's largest high school environmental education competitions; the PBS Nature series; programs at Yellowstone National Park; and many additional local programs. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com/environment.
The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world. For more information about the NPS visit www.nps.gov.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science (www.sciencemag.org). AAAS was founded in 1848, and serves some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of one million. The non-profit AAAS (www.aaas.org) is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more.