Dr. Amy Kuenzi, head of the department of biological sciences at Montana Tech, is being honored with the prestigious W.L. McAtee and G.V. Burger Award from The Wildlife Society (TWS). The Award was established for outstanding service as an Associate Editor. McAtee was the founding editor for the Journal of Wildlife Management, serving in the role from 1937 to 1942, while Burger was the first editor of The Wildlife Society Bulletin, serving 1973 to 1975.
Kuenzi will receive the award at The Wildlife Society’s national meeting in Cleveland in October 2018. Founded in 1937, TWS’s mission is “To inspire, empower and enable wildlife professionals to sustain wildlife populations and habitats through science-based management and conservation.” TWS enhances its nearly 10,000 members’ networking and learning opportunities, professional and career development and provides numerous ways for them to get more involved in creating a better future for wildlife and their habitats. TWS’s Awards Program annually honors professional excellence, recognizes outstanding achievement and highlights contributions to wildlife science and management. Through the years, many new awards have been established, including the one that Dr. Kuenzi will receive this year, to recognize accomplishments in wildlife publications, management, science and professionalism. Special recognition by TWS promotes the professional growth of its members, provides membership with role models and strengthens the image of its membership in the eyes of their peers, employers, leadership and society.
Amy has served as an Associate Editor for 14 years editing a range of manuscripts focusing on bats and small mammals. “Science depends on the rigor of volunteer peer-review and editing, so I’ve always felt I had a professional obligation to give scientific journals my time and expertise when asked,” noted Dr. Kuenzi. “I started volunteering as an associate editor for the Journal of Wildlife Management because of this and more selfishly because I felt I could learn a lot from reading what others were doing in terms of wildlife biology research. I am thrilled that The Wildlife Society considers my service worthy of this national award. I think it reflects well on Montana Tech and my department of biological sciences.”