Olin Rhodes
Olin E. Rhodes Jr., director of UGA’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory and a professor in the university’s Odum School of Ecology, is the 2018 recipient of the Caesar Kleberg Award for Excellence in Applied Wildlife Research. The annual award is given by The Wildlife Society in honor of the late Texas conservationist Caesar Kleberg.
TWS said the award recognizes those who have distinguished themselves in applied research and whose body of work, in both inquiry and discovery, has resulted in application of management and conservation on the ground.
Rhodes’ research has focused on wildlife ecology and genetics, including the genetic consequences of species reintroduction programs, the use of genetic tools for addressing issues of wildlife management and conservation, disease ecology and the sustainability of wildlife species in human-dominated landscapes, to name a few.
Rhodes previously was assistant director of the National Wildlife Research Center, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Prior to the position with USDA, Rhodes was a professor in the forestry and natural resources department at Purdue University. He also served as director of Purdue’s Interdisciplinary Center for Ecological Sustainability.
The award, which includes a medal and monetary gift, was presented to Rhodes Oct. 10 at TWS’ 25th annual conference in Cleveland, Ohio.
