← Back to News and Events

SEFS highlights outstanding achievements at the 2023 Year-End Celebration

To celebrate the end of the spring semester, the UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences hosts an annual award ceremony to recognize community members who demonstrate outstanding leadership, enthusiasm, and innovation at SEFS.

a group of people in a grassy courtyard year brick buildings
Thanks to all who attended the 2023 Year-End celebration!

We are grateful to Ellen Adams, Mary Keyes, and the rest of the SEFS staff for putting this event together. Thank everyone who submitted nominations to highlight outstanding members of our community and the dedication you have all shown to SEFS this year!

Undergraduate Student of the Year

Ingrid Jeacopello, the 2023 Undergraduate Student of the Year, is a determined, intelligent, and highly productive researcher. She has successfully worked across diverse projects including a clinical research study to determine the effect of wildfire smoke exposure on gene expression and the development of a microfluidic lollipop for diagnostics. She is a leader in her lab and has mentored 6 other undergraduate researchers. Ingrid has done amazing things at SEFS and beyond, and is expected to be a co-author on at least 5 peer-reviewed publications from her undergraduate research, including one as co-first author.

Graduate Student of the Year

For Graduate Student of the Year, we are pleased to announce that two graduate students were chosen. First, we have Don Radcliffe. Don has played a key role in building community and making SEFS—and the environmental science field, more broadly—a more inclusive, welcoming, and supportive space. Don was at the heart of the efforts for reviving the Graduate Student Retreat, held at Pack Forest this last fall, which provided a valuable opportunity to meet the incoming grad student cohort and build community. He is also an excellent mentor and instructor, giving outstanding guest lectures for SEFS classes, leading successful field campaigns, and mentoring three capstone students since the start of his degree in SEFS. Don continues to push the boundaries of his research and is leading his first bird-focused field season this year, funded by a prestigious Joint Fire Science Program grant. 

Attendees at the 2023 Year End Event

Our second recipient of Graduate Student of the Year is Samantha Kreling. Within her first year at UW, Sam carried out a successful field season, led a successful grant proposal, and developed an excellent dissertation proposal with five data chapters that supported her successful Masters bypass petition. Sam was awarded a Hall Conservation Genetics grant and published a single-author paper in Bioscience last month on the impacts of urbanization on animal coloration patterns. Her impressive publication record, and success in leading two small grant proposals while also helping to secure a major NSF award, makes for a truly exceptional academic track record. In addition to her research, Sam taught a 5-credit service course, Wildlife in the Modern World, as a pre-doctoral instructor for three semesters and received remarkable student evaluations for a first-time instructor.

Faculty Member of the Year

We are excited to announce that this year’s Faculty Member of the Year is Alex McInturff. Alex has been a very strong force and proponent of societal and cultural change at SEFS. On top of being extremely kind and empathetic as a mentor and human, Alex has brought new research perspectives to the SEFS community, highlighting the importance of social sciences working with environmental sciences. Since joining SEFS, he has devoted time to a leadership role in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, which expanded survey efforts and created timely events, co-authored an article in Nature Climate Change, taught a new course in Social-Ecological Systems, and consistently mentors graduate and undergraduate students.

Staff Member of the Year

It is with great honor that we announce Ellen Adams is this year’s Staff Member of the Year! Ellen has demonstrated skill and finesse since coming to SEFS, helping this department return to normal operations, rebuild community, and being a welcoming presence in the Anderson building. Day to day, they provide quick solutions and help to students and staff across SEFS and visitors to our community. Ellen has provided unique insight and clever innovations to bring people together across our clusters of students and staff, and has streamlined administrative processes with their efficient, informative approach. 

Outstanding Commitment to Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity

Finally, we congratulate our selection for outstanding commitment to Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity at SEFS this year, Lauren Satterfield. Lauren has been a driving force within the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and has brought about improvements in reporting of harassment and abuse. Despite working to complete her PhD, she continues to show up to bring about positive change at SEFS with an infectious and inspiring energy. 

UW Awards

In addition to our 2023 SEFS Award Winners, we’d like to congratulate several other SEFS community members for their accomplishments at UW as a whole: