Texas A&M AgriLife, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences receive range management honors
Students and faculty receive awards and leadership appointments from Society for Range Management
Employees and students of Texas A&M AgriLife and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences received top awards and recognition at the annual Society for Range Management meeting held last month in Spokane, Washington.
Established in 1948, the Society for Range Management, SRM, is an international, professional scientific society and conservation organization dedicated to studying, conserving, managing and sustaining rangeland ecosystems worldwide.
“While Texas A&M AgriLife’s contributions to rangeland science and management are well known across Texas, it is outstanding to see it acknowledged on an international stage,” said Roel Lopez, Ph.D., head of the Texas A&M Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management and director of the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute.
Leadership appointments
Jeff Goodwin, Ph.D., director of the Center for Grazinglands and Ranch Management and Texas A&M AgriLife Research assistant professor in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, was appointed as the 2025 SRM president.
“It is an honor to serve the land managers, scientists, students, agricultural producers and conservationists who comprise this great organization,” said Goodwin, who also holds the Thomas M. O’Connor Endowed Directorship in Rangeland and Wildlife Management at Texas A&M University. “Together, we will work to advance the conservation of our rangeland landscapes through partnerships, outreach and the promotion of science-based policy.”
John Walker, Ph.D., professor emeritus in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management and former director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo, will serve as first vice president.
Texas Master Naturalist Program recognized
The Texas Master Naturalist Program received the SRM Outstanding Achievement: Commitment to Community Engagement Award.
This award celebrates an individual or group who “advances the mission and vision of SRM through sustained efforts to engage and improve opportunities for the broad communities who care for rangelands, with cumulative achievements having a direct and significant impact.”
Student competition and scholarship
The Texas A&M Range Club plant identification team took fifth place honors in the rangeland plant identification competition that included students from 20 universities across the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
The team included Hanna Hardt, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, and Hannah Moreno, Charles Purcell, Jessica Sebastian and Jake Chapman, all with the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management.
Moreno also received the SRM Masonic-Range Science Scholarship. This prestigious scholarship is annually awarded to one student pursuing a degree in rangeland science or a closely related field.
