By Andi Anderson
The Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) community celebrated a successful spring and summer season as several students, staff members, and recent alumni received prestigious awards, fellowships, and scholarships for their achievements in research, leadership, conservation, and outreach.
Among the honorees was Jarred Brooke, Extension Wildlife Specialist, who received the Career Achievement Award at the Fire in Eastern Oak Forests Conference. Brooke has played a major role in prescribed fire education and policy development in Indiana. He has organized numerous workshops and field programs to help landowners and professionals understand fire safety, ecological benefits, and land management practices. He also helped secure funding for Extension prescribed fire initiatives and contributed to the Indiana Land Stewardship Leadership Academy.
Nathan Shoaf, a PhD student in Dr. Zhao Ma’s lab, was selected as a 2026 Future Leaders Forum Fellow by the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development (AIARD). The highly competitive fellowship recognizes future leaders dedicated to solving global challenges related to agriculture, food security, rural development, and environmental sustainability. Through the program, Shoaf will participate in professional development activities, leadership workshops, policy discussions, and networking opportunities with leading global organizations.
Natalie Allen, a PhD student in Dr. Andrew DeWoody’s lab, was honored as a Fulbright Program semifinalist. Her research focuses on wildlife conservation using genome sequencing to study species such as Montezuma quail, western chicken turtles, and gray whales. Her work contributes valuable information to conservation and species management efforts.
Elena Boughton, a May 2026 Wildlife alumna, received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program grant. She will pursue doctoral studies in the Aeroecology Lab under Dr. Kyle Horton, focusing on research involving purple martins.
Katy Dix, a PhD student in Dr. Zhao Ma’s Human Dimensions Lab, received the D. Woods Thomas Memorial Fund award for the third time. Her research supports community-driven projects related to wildfire management and water sovereignty in Bolivia, encouraging collaboration and long-term sustainable solutions.
Jean Fritz Saint Preux, a PhD student working with Dr. Mo Zhou, earned the People’s Choice Award at the 2026 joint meeting of the International Society of Forest Resource Economics and Western Forest Economists. He also received a conference scholarship to attend the Association of Consulting Foresters national conference.
Additional recognition went to Sarah Grimes and Adebola Adeniji, graduate students in the Center for Global Soundscapes with Dr. Bryan Pijanowski, who received the MSU-NASA Professional Enhancement Award for their research contributions.
The achievements continued with international scholarships awarded to Morgan Hamilton, an Aquatic Sciences major, and Lauren Toepp, a Wildlife major. Both received the Gilman Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State, supporting international study opportunities.
These honors highlight the strong commitment of the FNR community to advancing research, education, conservation, and global environmental leadership while preparing the next generation of natural resource professionals.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-fotografixx
Categories: Indiana, Education