Victor Hutchison Graduate Poster Award
The SSAR graduate student poster awards honor Victor Hutchison for his extensive contributions to herpetology and the development of future herpetologists. This is the 13th year these awards have been given out. Thirteen students competed in two general categories on 14 July 2023. The awardees received a check for US $250 and three books. We thank Chuck Crumly and CRC press for the generous donation of the books.
This year’s judges were Jennifer Moore (Grand Valley State University), Erika Nowak (Northern Arizona University), Mark Paulissen (Northeastern State University), Claudia Crowther (Michigan State University), and Allyson Fenwick (chair, University of Central Oklahoma).
The 2023 recipients are:
Ecology, Natural History, Distribution and Behavior:
Hayley Crowell (University of Michigan), “Beyond the Sea(snake): Reviving Historical Collections for New Lessons in Collaboration and Beyond”
Owing to the larger number of posters, we also recognize an honorable mention in this category:
John Michael Arnett (Western Connecticut State University), “Effects of Urbanized Roads on Northern Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin)”
Physiology and Morphology:
Justin Lee (Villanova University), “Comparative Osteology of the Kukri Snake genus Oligodon”
George B. Rabb Undergraduate Poster Award
SSAR’s George B. Rabb Undergraduate Poster Award is sponsored by Zoo Atlanta and honors our colleague George Rabb (1930-2017), former Director of the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, IL, and highly respected advocate and spokesman for wildlife conservation. This is the fifth year of this competition. Seven students competed on 14 July 2023. The winner received a check for US $250 and three books. We thank Chuck Crumly and CRC press for the generous donation of the books.
This year’s judges were:
RJ Rao (unaffiliated, from India), Jessica Tingle (University of Akron), and Michelle Koo (University of California, Berkeley)
The 2023 recipient of the Rabb Undergraduate Poster Award is:
Trevor Rallo (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville), “Intraspecific Priority Effects in Smallmouth Salamanders: Effects on Larval Body Size and Survival”
Owing to the larger number of posters, we also recognize an honorable mention in this category:
Madelene Grullon (Moravian University), “Plastics in our ponds and aquatic habitats: How are microplastics impacting larval amphibians”