Samuel Ramsey receives the prestigious Lowell Thomas Award
Once frightened of insects, Ramsey has become a leader in the field of entomology
Samuel Ramsey, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado Boulder, is one of this year鈥檚 recipients of the .
The Lowell Thomas Award, named after broadcast journalist and explorer and given by , recognizes 鈥渆xcellence in domains or fields of exploration,鈥 according to the award announcement. In particular, the award celebrates 鈥渋ndividuals who have grit, tenacity, are undaunted by failure, and endure all obstacles, finding a way forward to discovery and results that expand the limits of knowledge.鈥
Samuel Ramsey (left) working with the chieftain of a hill tribe village in Thailand to sample domesticated bees for parasites. (Photo: /.)
, also known as 鈥測our friendly neighborhood entomologist,鈥 didn鈥檛 always like insects. They used to terrify him. But in the second grade he conquered his fears by learning about insects at his local library.
Now, more than 25 years later, Ramsey is one of the most innovative and distinguished thinkers in the field of entomology. His research has won him numerous awards, including first place in the , the American Bee Research Conference鈥檚 Award for Distinguished Research and the Acarological Society of America鈥檚 Highest Award for Advances in Acarology Research.
Ramsey鈥攁 member of the , class of 2024鈥攁lso runs a nonprofit, the , which seeks to protect pollinator diversity.
Ramsey鈥檚 fellow awardees this year are zoologist , ocean conservationist and geothermal scientist . Past recipients include , , , , and .
The takes place in Austin on Nov. 1.
Top image: Samuel Ramsey researching bee biodiversity in Thailand. (Photo: /.)
Did you enjoy this article? Passionate about ecology and evolutionary biology? Show your support.