Nixon honored with lifetime achievement award

Scott W. Nixon, URI oceanography professor and past Rhode Island Sea Grant director, was the recipient of the Estuarine Research Federation’s (ERF) Odum Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was granted “in recognition of [Nixon’s] outstanding lifetime contributions to our understanding of the fundamental processes determining the productivity of estuaries and the impacts of human activities on coastal ecosystems.”

Nixon “was nominated and strongly supported by peers who cited his many significant scientific publications and marveled at the ways in which he has effectively communicated science in support of education and ecosystem management over the past 30 years,” wrote the ERF award selection committee.

The Odum Award is named for Howard T. Odum, Howard’s brother Eugene P. Odum, and Eugene’s son William E. Odum—all of whom have had tremendous impact on the field of ecology. Howard Odum was probably best known for bringing a unified systems analysis to ecology. Interestingly, Nixon’s Ph.D. dissertation was completed under the guidance of Professor Howard Odum at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
The Odum Award was conferred during the ERF 2003 Seattle Conference in September. Nixon was also asked to give the Plenary Address celebrating the legacy of the Odum family; Howard Odum died in September 2002 following a battle with cancer. The ERF award selection committee noted that “the invitation to give the plenary address and Nixon’s selection for the award came about through two independent processes—an indication of the widespread respect for his importance in our community.”

“I have been a great admirer of all of the Odums for over three decades,” Nixon noted. “Receiving this award is wonderful recognition that the work that my colleagues, Betty Buckley and Steve Granger, and I have done, along with many outstanding graduate students, has proven useful to the wider coastal research and management community. I also owe a great debt to the Rhode Island Sea Grant Program, which has done so much to improve our understanding of the coastal environment. Sea Grant has supported much of our work for over 30 years and I hope this recognition helps to justify that investment.”

“As a master of logic and clarity, Nixon continues to inspire students and energize seasoned researchers. We certainly look forward to the contributions that he will make to the advancement of science and management of coastal ecosystems for years to come,” wrote ERF conference organizers.

—Malia Schwartz

Related Link:

Estuarine Research Federation

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