James T. Stroud, Elizabeth Smithgall Watts Early Career Assistant Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Georgia Tech, has been awarded the prestigious Founder's Prize by the British Ecological Society (BES), the largest scientific society for ecologists in Europe.
Commemorating the enthusiasm and vision of the organization's founders, the Founder's Prize is awarded to an outstanding early career ecologist who is beginning to make a significant contribution to the science of ecology.
Stroud is being recognized for his groundbreaking research as an integrative evolutionary ecologist, investigating how ecological and evolutionary processes may underlie patterns of biological diversity at the macro-scale.
Earlier this year, Stroud was also named an Early Career Fellow by the Ecological Society of America (ESA). He is the first person to win both seminal early career researcher awards from ESA and BES - the two largest and most influential ecological societies in the world - in the same year.
"The British Ecological Society could not have selected a more deserving recipient of this prestigious award," says David Collard, senior associate dean in the College of Sciences and professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "James is a model of faculty excellence in his innovative research, commitment to education, and leadership in the field. We look forward to his continued impact in driving forward the field of ecology."
Stroud's highly multidisciplinary research combines field studies with macro-ecological and evolutionary comparative analyses, primarily studying lizards. His current interests focus on measuring natural selection in the wild, often leveraging non-native lizards as natural experiments in ecology and evolution.
"I am completely overwhelmed and honored to receive this award," Stroud says, "and especially from a society very close to my heart. My first ever scientific conference was a BES meeting."
Stroud will be presented with an honorarium prize during a ceremony at the BES Annual Meeting in Liverpool this December. The meeting brings together over 1,000 ecologists to discuss the latest advances in ecological research. For more than a century, the BES has been championing ecology through its journals, meetings, grants, education, and policy work.
"This award really symbolizes the amazing support and guidance I have received throughout my career from an incredible network of mentors and colleagues," Stroud adds, "and now, the amazing people I get to work with in my own research group, as well."
