Thijs Kuiken awarded the Ed Addison Distinguished Service award by the Wildlife Disease Association
Friday the 13th of September, Thijs has been awarded the Ed Addison Distinguished Service award by the Wildlife Disease Association at the EWDA conference in Stralsund.
This award is to honor a member of long standing who, by outstanding accomplishments in research, teaching, and other activities, including participation in WDA affairs, has made noteworthy contributions supporting the mission and values of the WDA.
This award is handed out less than every two years at the WDA conference (usually in the US). As the WDA board realized Thijs would not join an oversees WDA conference, the WDA board decided to send someone to the EWDA conference and hand the award out there. Thijs had not expected this and was completely surprised.
Some excerpts from letters to support his nomination:
• Thijs Kuiken’s extensive scientific contributions, and his effective mentorship of students.
• His hours and hours of service to the WDA, particularly through the EWDA, and his personal drive to make good science inform government and other social policies.
• Thijs is working extensively on how wildlife health science can be done responsibly in the environmental crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss, and also how it might be turned to understanding and managing these environmental issues. He has formed committees, written editorials, created small grant incentives, all toward this end. This is the height of social responsibility and also is uphill work. In this, he is providing exceptional leadership to and within the WDA.
