Former LTER Grad Student Wins Major Award in Germany

Glenn Patrick Juday, Professor of Forest Ecology
University of Alaska Fairbanks, AK

A former grad student at Bonanza Creek LTER (BNZ), Martin Wilmking, recently received the Sofja Kovalevskaja award for outstanding young scientists and scholars from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany. Granted for only the second time since its inception in 2002, the award recognizes young scientists and scholars from abroad (outside Germany) with outstanding research records.

Martin conducted his Ph.D. project at Bonanza from 1999-2003. Supported by BNZ and the German Academic Exchange program, Martin and his thesis advisor (Glenn Juday, BNZ) developed a project to study landscsape ecological controls of treeline position in the boreal forest-tundra margin in the Brooks Range, Alaska. The study was a product of BNZ’s efforts, prompted by advice from site reviews in the late 1990s, to “reach out” in its study of ecosystems toward the Arctic (tundra) LTER at Toolik Lake. In 2000 Martin won a Canon National Parks Science Scholarship that funded the project. After completing his Ph.D. (Interdisciplinary—landscape ecology) in 2003, he began a NOAA/UCAR Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for Global and Climate Change, working with the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University.

The Sofja Kovalevskaja Award is one of the most highly-endowed scientific prizes in Germany and aims to provide award-winners an opportunity to concentrate on high-level, innovative research work of their choice in Germany, with virtually no administrative constraints, in order to promote the internationalization of research in the country. It enables its winners to finance their own work-groups at their chosen German university and non-university research institutions, and to cover their living expenses. This year’s recipients will be funded for up to EUR 1.2 million (US$ 1.5 million) during the period 2004-2007 to conduct research of their own choice.

Martin received the award in Berlin from the German Minister of Education and Research (BMBF). Afterwards, in a message to his UAF and BNZ colleagues Martin said, "I guess my education at UAF is seen over here as a success."
A press release of the 2004 Sofja Kovalevskaja Award can be found at http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/aktuelles/presse/pn_archiv_2004/2004_24.htm The story announcing the selection of 2004 winners ran in every major German newspaper, and was covered by two nation-wide radio stations and a television team. Martin says that his first school teacher (now retired) heard about it and wrote him a letter.

There were 10 other awardees in addition to Martin, including four from Germany itself. The subjects of the research projects include particle physics, astrophysics, biochemistry, and Egyptology. Martin's project was the only one in the field of ecology.

The list of winners and their projects can be found at http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/aktuelles/presse/pn_archiv_2004/2004_24a.htm