“SWPBA Biologist of the Year” Award
Sponsored each year by the EPA Region 4 Ecological Assessment Branch in Athens, GA, the “SWPBA Biologist of the Year” award recognizes the innovative work of a front line Region 4 State biologist. The Executive Committee of the Southeastern Water Pollution Biologist Association (SWPBA) will review the nominations and select the recipient. The “Biologist of the Year” award winner will receive a beautiful plaque from the EPA at the annual SWPBA meeting. An additional “rotating” plaque that lists the recipient’s name along with previous winners will be presented to their agency for display during the following year.
The Nomination Process
Each SWPBA member state, tribe or EPA may nominate up to two (2) biologists for consideration by the SWPBA Executive Committee. Names of the nominees for the award will be kept confidential by the Executive Committee. The SWPBA primary contact(s) for each member state or tribe are responsible for coordinating the nominating process in a manner that best suits their organization. The SWPBA President or Secretary may be consulted at any time concerning the nomination process, and at his/her discretion may ask the Executive Committee for clarifications or rulings on the conduct of the nomination and selection process. The intent of SWPBA is to keep the process as fair and uncomplicated as possible so that the award ceremony will be both enjoyable and a point of pride for SWPBA and its members.
The Nomination Timeline and Narrative
Nominations must be sent by the appropriate primary contact(s) via e-mail or letter to the SWPBA Secretary one month prior to the conference in order to provide enough time for review and selection by the Executive Committee. The nomination narrative is limited to one page and must include the nominee’s name and organization, the name, phone number, and e-mail address of the individual initiating the nomination, and a description of the nominee’s work with a focus on the criteria discussed in the following paragraph.
Award Eligibility and Criteria
The nominee must be a SWPBA Member and a full time employee of a SWPBA member state or tribe to be eligible for the award. Also, it is the intent of this award to recognize state/tribal biologists for work that is currently underway or recently completed. The criteria for selection will include factors such as the innovative nature of the work, the level of complexity, the potential for widespread application of the findings, the level of collaboration with other states/tribes/agencies, and the individual leadership demonstrated by the biologist in their respective program. Questions concerning the award or the nomination process may be directed to the SWPBA President or Secretary.
