Arizona State life sciences professor wins national conservation award

The American Society of Mammalogists named Arizona State University professor Andrew Smith the recipient of the Aldo Leopold Award.

Smith received the award for his decades of research in the behavioral ecology of mammals and the effects of habitat fragmentation and ecosystem services provided by small animals.

He’s also known for creating the School of Life Science’s Conservation Biology degree program, which is one of the first formal programs of its kind in the nation.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Leopold Conservation Award from the American Society of Mammalogists,” said Smith, a President’s and Parents Association Professor with the School of Life Sciences. “Aldo Leopold was a giant and everyone working in conservation today stands on his shoulders.”

The Aldo Leopold Award is named after an American scientist who is considered to be the “father” of wildlife ecology and management.