Awards & Recognition

Click to view resume/curriculum vitae. See resume/CV for publication list, grant history, work experience, etc.

Awards & Honors

2020

  • Decelerator Residency, The Strange Foundation, New York. May 2020. Co-PIs: K. Schwarz and E. Cook. Selected through competitive application project.
  • Outstanding Associate Editor Award, Journal of Natural Sciences Education, Alliance of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science Societies.
  • Official Tour Selection, Colorado Environmental Film Festival, for Deer 139 film.
  • Official Tour Selection, Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capitol, for Deer 139 film.
  • Official Tour Selection, Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour, for Deer 139 film.
  • Official Tour Selection, No Man’s Land Film Festival, for Deer 139 film.
  • Official Tour Selection, Wild and Scenic Film Festival, for Deer 139 film.

2019

  • Honorable Mention, Education Section Publication of the Year Award, Ecological Society of America. Award received for Januchowski-Hartley, S.R., N. Sopinka, N., B.G. Merkle, C. Lux, A. Zivian, P. Goff, and S. Oester. 2018. Poetry as a creative practice to enhance engagement and learning in conservation science. BioScience. Vol 68(10): biy105. doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biy105.
  • Shortlisted (1 of 5 teams, out of 220 submissions). Art in Public Buildings Project for University of Wyoming Science Initiative new research facility. Potential contract: $90,000.00. Co-PIs: B. Gellis and M. Thompson Stanton.
  • Best in Show Award, 40th Annual Map Competition, Cartography and Geographic Information Society for Wild Migrations: Atlas of Wyoming’s Ungulates.
  • Best Atlas Award, 40th Annual Map Competition, Cartography and Geographic Information Society for Wild Migrations: Atlas of Wyoming’s Ungulates
  • Official Tour Selection, Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival, for Deer 139 film.
  • Wildlife Publication Award for an Edited Book, The Wildlife Society for Wild Migrations: Atlas of Wyoming’s Ungulates.
  • Invited/Nominated. Associate Member of Sigma Xi – Research Scholarship Honors Society.
  • Member of 2019 cohort of Leaving the Light On: A LAMP Educator’s Community (ELC), Science Initiative, University of Wyoming. Selected through competitive application process to participate in inaugural cohort of an extension of the Learning Actively Mentoring Program, an on-going faculty and grad student training program. ELC participants have a responsibility to be a change agent in the continued shift to active-learning, student-centered pedagogies the University of Wyoming.
  • Finalist, High Plains Book Award for Wild Migrations: Atlas of Wyoming’s Ungulates.

2018

  • Invited. Founding section editor. Communicating Science section, The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America.
  • Founding columnist. Writing Science column, The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America.
  • Invited. Advisory Board, OceanDotComm science communications conference (professional science communicators training residency) and NSF Informal STEM Learning Proposal, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium
  • Invited Lead, Training Section, “Strategy Development: Increasing the Impact of Public Engagement Within and Beyond ESA,” Ecological Society of America.
  • Participant, OCEANDOTCOMM professional science communicators training residency, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. Participation by application only (42 accepted out of 75 applicants).
  • Chair, Communication and Engagement Section, Ecological Society of America (effective 8/2017-9/2018)
  • Committee member, Committee on Diversity and Education, Ecological Society of America

2017

  • Chair, Communication and Engagement Section, Ecological Society of America (effective 8/2017-9/2018)
  • Director; co-founder; Wyoming ScienceCommunication Initiative (WySCI), University of Wyoming
  • Creative writing residency at Shortgrass Steppe Longterm Ecological Research Site
  • Invited plenary. Drawn to Science: How changes in communication and associated technology through time has shaped how we engage with the public and each other. American Fisheries Society (western division)
  • Invited symposium speaker/panelist. Drawn to Illustrations: Tips and Techniques for Enhancing Your Approach to Visuals. American Fisheries Society (western division)
  • Invited Ignite speaker/panelist. Drawn to science: Exploring historical and contemporary synergies between drawing, creativity, and science. Ecological Society of America
  • Invited lecture: The Ecologically True Story of the Tortoise and the Hare. Wyoming Humanities Council

2016

  • American Heritage Center Student Research Award
  • Art-Science Integration Specialist: Art Museum’s Summer Teaching Institute; University of Wyoming
  • Biodiversity Institute Art Grant
  • Center for International Studies research travel grant
  • Co-editor, English 1010 textbook/teaching curriculum; 1 of 3 editorial committee members; University of Wyoming
  • Creative Writing Program research travel grant; University of Wyoming
  • Creative writing residency at AMK Ranch (University of Wyoming/National Park Service Research Center)
  • Invited lecture: “Drawn to Science: Exploring Historical and Contemporary Synergies between Art, Creativity, and Science,” UW Zoology/Physiology Department.
  • Invited workshop: “Drawn to Science: Using Analog Technology (art!) to Teach and Learn Science”; UW Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning
  • Renaissance Weekend invitation
  • “Promoting Intellectual Engagement in the First Year” teaching award; blind nomination by students; 170+ nominees, 26 awardees; UW
  • Selected for inclusion in Poems Across the Big Sky (2); due out Autumn 2016 from Many Voices Press; (>1,200 submissions; ~250 poems selected)

2015-2016

  • Art Museum’s Art-Science Symposium/Initiative planning committee; only student on committee comprised of faculty/staff from numerous UW departments (2015-2017)
  • College of Arts and Sciences International Studies Grant; UW
  • Best Environmental Reporting for “An eel is an eel is an eel, or is it?”; Quebec Community Newspaper Association (QCNA), 3rd place
  • Creative Writing Program research travel grant; UW
  • Creative Writing Program project grant; UW
  • Elected Secretary of the Ecological Society of America’s Science Communication Section

2014

  • Best Special Section, 1st place; QCNA award for 250th anniversary special edition magazine I edited/coordinated for the Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph, North America’s oldest newspaper
  • Best Community Newspaper Promotion, 1st place; QCNA award for year-long 250th anniversary campaign I coordinated for the Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph
  • National journalism award; Newspapers Canada/Canadian Tire Jumpstart Foundation
  • Feature photograph on back cover; Montana Outdoors annual photography issue

2013 and earlier

  • Best Business Column or Feature, 1st place; QCNA
  • Best Investigative or In-depth Reporting, 2nd place; QCNA
  • Best Newspaper Promotion, 2nd place; QCNA
  • Best Special Section, 3rd place; QCNA
  • Commissioned photography project in Prince Albert National Park; Parks Canada
  • Best Newspaper Promotion, 2nd place (2012); QCNA
  • Best Sports Story, 2nd place (2012); QCNA
  • Outstanding Photojournalism award (2012); QCNA
  • Best Sports Photograph, 2nd place (2012) – QCNA
  • Best News Photo, 3rd place (2012) – QCNA
  • ‘Best of the Best’ writing assessment award (2006) – University of Montana
  • Numerous academic scholarships throughout undergraduate career – University of Montana

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