Salem, Massachusetts – October 31, 2011 - The School for Field Studies (SFS) presented its bi-annual Distinguished Student Researcher Award to Vassar College senior Elizabeth Forbes, biological sciences major, in recognition of her exceptional environmental research she conducted while studying abroad during the spring semester of 2011 at The SFS Center for Rainforest Studies in North Queensland, Australia.

Each year, The School for Field Studies honors exceptional students with Distinguished Student Researcher Awards for making important contributions in environmental research. SFS semester students engage in undergraduate research guided by SFS faculty on projects related to the Center's Five Year Research Plan (5YRP). Outcomes of these Directed Research (DR) projects provide information and recommendations to community members and other stakeholders on critical, local environmental issues.

Students are nominated by SFS faculty based on their demonstrated sophistication in research design, field work, and reporting; their leadership skills and teamwork; and their contribution to the Center's 5YRP. The SFS award also recognizes the students’ leadership exhibited while working with a team of student and faculty researchers in the field.

SFS Interim President Jack Waggett and Dean Dr. Robin Sears presented the Award this fall with nominations from Forbe’s DR advisor Professor Sigrid Heise-Pavlov, Lecturer in Rainforest Ecology at the Center.

Forbe’s research project, The behavioral responses of Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) to odor cues from native and non-native predators and their implications for species conservation, overseen by Heise-Pavlov, focused on chemical communication of vertebrates, an area related to behavioral conservation with strong relevance for future conservation efforts in a highly fragmented landscape. Forbes framed her work in a broader perspective, linking her results with current conservation issues of the Lumholtz’ tree-kangaroo, a rare species found in rain forests of the Atherton Tableland Region of Queensland.

Heise-Pavlov said, “Elizabeth’s work with the endemic tree-kangaroo Dendrolagus lumholtzi explains observations of tree-kangaroo fatalities due to dog-attacks and offers future research directions on how to mitigate this threat for the conservation of this iconic flagship species on the Atherton Tablelands.”

###

CONTACT:

Leslie Granese
lgranese@fieldstudies.org 978.304.6963

Scott Lamer
slamer@fieldstudies.org 978.219.5121

About The School for Field Studies For more than 30 years, The School for Field Studies (SFS), the nation's oldest and largest environmental study abroad program for college undergraduates, has combined hands-on, multi-disciplinary environmental studies with scientific research to propose sustainable solutions to critical environmental problems. SFS students work with local communities to discover practical ways to manage their natural resources, and in the process undergo a transformational experience that helps them to advance their careers as skilled professionals and to become globally aware citizens. Visit http://www.fieldstudies.org

About SFS Five Year Research Plan and Directed Research Projects
SFS Centers have developed long-term research plans to help identify, address, and resolve critical environmental problems, providing information to assist local, regional and national agencies in resource management decision-making. The purpose of these research plans is to respond to the resource conservation and management needs of the local community, provide a roadmap for the academic and research components of our field programs, and fulfill SFS research requirements and collaborate with other academic and scientific institutions. Directed Research topics are defined by the 5YRP and build on previous research, addressing an environmental problem relevant to the local community.