JOHN C. AVISE - RECIPIENT OF ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE AWARD and MOLECULAR ECOLOGY PRIZE

John Avise, Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, has been awarded the Alfred Russel Wallace Award from the International Biogeography Society (http://www.biogeography.org/) for his lifelong achievement in biogeography.  Dr. Avise is the second recipient of this biennial award, which was instituted in 2005.  The Award will be formally presented at the Society's next meeting in Merida, Mexico in January of 2009. 

This prestigeous award follows on the heels of Dr. Avise receiving the 2006 Molecular Ecology Prize.  Dr. Avise accepted that award for lifelong achievement in molecular ecology last July  at the annual meeting of the American Genetic Association in Vancouver, British Colombia.   Dr. Avise's research uses genetic markers to analyze the natural histories and evolution of wild animals. He has authored nearly 300 scientific papers and 10 books on genetics, natural history and evolution.  For further information about Dr. Avise's research, see http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=5292.