The 32nd annual Seibert Awards were presented at the SSAR Business Meeting on June 29th, 2024 following the 66th Annual Meeting of the SSAR in Ann Arbor, MI on June 27th – 30th, 2024. These awards are named in honor of Henri C. Seibert, an early and tireless supporter of SSAR (having served as an officer for over 20 years).
In recognition of outstanding student presentations at the annual meeting, a single award is given in each of four categories: Morphology & Physiology (14 presentations), Evolution & Systematics (14 presentations), Ecology (10 presentations), and Conservation (10 presentations). All recipients receive a check from SSAR and a book compliments of Chuck Crumly (Taylor and Francis).
The Seibert Award Recipients for 2024 are:
Morphology & Physiology:
Jonathan Huie, The George Washington University, “Climbing kinematics and morphology of Aneides salamanders”
Honorable Mention to Ayley Shortridge, Michigan State University, “Phenotypic and fitness effects of heat waves and flash drought during embryonic development in the painted turtle”
Evolution & Systematics:
Matthew Buehler, Auburn University, “Conservation genomics of an endangered charismatic snake, the eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi)”
Honorable Mentions to Ashmika Behere, Marquette University, “Evolution of sex chromosomes in Lialis burtonis” and Tushar Sharma, University of Texas at Austin, “Unraveling evolutionary transitions in developmental modes: insights from Gastrotheca (Hemiphractidae)”
Ecology:
Jeffrey Coleman, University of Texas at Austin, “Nuance in the narrative: environmental compounds and foraging preferences unveiled in a brown poison frog considered diet-generalized and toxin-free”
Honorable Mention to Tyler Hunt, Florida State University, “Visual field analysis reveals near-panoramic vision in narrow-snouted Crocodilians”
Conservation:
Callie Golba, Northern Illinois University, “Population viability analysis-based assessment of Blanding’s turtle conservation strategies”
Honorable Mention to Maris Daleo, University of Urbana, Illinois, “Survival analysis of eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) incorporating pathogen effects in central Illinois”
With thanks to the judges for 2024:
Kaitlin Allen, University of Florida; Kinsey Brock, San Diego State University; Vincent Farallo, University of Scranton; Darrel Frost, American Museum of Natural History; Whitney Gentry, Loyola University: Leigh Ann Harden, Benedictine University; Anthony Herrel, CNRS: Christopher Mayerli, Northern Arizona University: Oksana Nekrasova, I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology; John Rowe, Alma College; Rudi von May, Cal State University, Channel Islands.