Alwyn Gentry’s legacy to tropical biology was not limited to the phenomenal contributions he made to the study of diversity and conservation of tropical plants. He was a caring and supportive mentor to students from all over the Americas. In remembrance and recognition of the contributions of a singular scientist, colleague, mentor, and friend, the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation presents Alwyn Gentry Awards for the best student papers each year at its Annual Meeting.

Two awards are given each year, one for the best student oral presentation, and one for the best student poster. Individuals who have been students within the previous 12 months are eligible, including those who have completed the Ph.D. within that period. The number of years of eligibility is not limited. The work must have been done by the student as the senior author on the paper. Two or more students may present a joint paper and would then split the award. Award criteria are the following:

– ATBC membership
– originality of study
– contribution of the study to science
– breadth of the study
– quality of the research design and execution of the data analysis
– quality of the presentation, including audio-visual materials.

The award recipients will each receive a $300 prize. In addition, each of the winners will have their photograph and abstract published in BIOTROPICA, as well as his/her bio published at tropicalbio.org. 

The Committee reserves the right to make no award if it deems that no deserving paper has been presented or if fewer than five eligible papers are presented.

Gentry Award for the Best Student Oral Presentation

2024 – Liam Jasperse-Sjolander – University of Colorado Boulder, USA

2023 – Aleena Xavier – Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, India

2022 – Rodrigo Muñoz, Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands

2022 – Rodrigo Bello Carvalho, University of Oxford, UK

2021 – Nohemi Huanca Nunez, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA

2019 – Edgar Cifuentes, Universidad de Los Andes and University of East Anglia

2018 – Elizabeth Joyce, Australian Tropical Herbarium and James Cook University

2017 – Estelí Jimenez-Soto, Department of Environmental Studies, University of California at Santa Cruz

2016 – Mar Cartró-Sabaté – Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona

2015 – Anat Belasen – Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Fellow, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. Article

2015 – Sarah Jane Wilson – School of Natural Resources and Environment Follow, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. Article

2014 – Sean Reilly – Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA

2013 – Maria Natalia Umaña – Michigan State University, USA

2012 – Sophie Fauvet – School of Geography, University of Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.

2011 – Rebeka Hoffmeier-Karimi – Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY, U.S.A. Article

2010 – Brian E. Sedio – Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, U.S.A. Article

2009 – I-Ching Chen – Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, China. Article

2008 – Maylin Adriana Gonzales – Laboratoire d’Evolution et Diversité Biologique, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France. Article

2007 – Alemayehu Wassie – Centre for Ecosystem Studies, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Article

2006 – Benjamin C. Wang – Center for Tropical Research & UCLA – Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A. Article

2005 – Liliana Rios – Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury Ontario, Canada. Article

2004 – Nathan C. Muchhala – University of Miami, Department of Biology, FL, U.S.A. Article

2003 – H. Krefth – University of Bonn, Germany  Article
Runners-up :  Maria Del Carmen – Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan Puerto Rico.

2002 – Elizabeth A. Arnorld – Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona,Tucson, Arizona U.S.A. Article Runners-up : Zoraida Calle – Agroforestry Systems Area, Center for Research on Sustainable Agricultural Production, Cali, Colombia.

2001 – Derek M. Johnson – Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL U.S.A. Article

Gentry Award for the Best Student Poster

 

2024 – Katherine Culbertson, University of California, Berkeley, USA, AND Simran Prasad, Centre for Wildlife Studies, India

2023 – Manish R – Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, India

2022 – Qi Luan Lim, Kyoto University Japan

2021 – Laura Bizzarri, University of Connecticut, USA

2019 – Miatrana RASAMOELINA, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Madagascar

2019 – Marie Laure Rurangwa, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

2018 – Nancy Alejandra Flechas Quintana, Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia

2017 – Marta Giannichi, University of Leeds and Lore Verryckt, University of Antwerp

2016 – Adriane Esquivel Muelbert – University of Leeds and William Farfan-Rios – Wake Forest University

2015 – Gaku Amada – Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Japan. Article

2014 – Chadtip Rodtassana – Department of Plant Science, University of Cambridge, UK

2013 – Dulce Rodriguez-Morales – Instituto de Ecología A.C., Mexico

2012 – Melbi Ramos-Fabiel – UNAM, Mexico.

2011 – Emiru Birhane Hizikias – Centre for Ecosystem Studies, Wageningen University and Research Centre,The Netherland. Article

2010 – Soumya Prasad – Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India. Article

2009 – Ryan Bixenmann – Biology Dept., University of Utah, Salt Lake City, U.S.A. Article

2008 – Elodie Courtois – Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France. Article

2007 – Tanya Hawley – Department of Biology, University of Miami, U.S.A. Article

2006 – Gang Chang. – Beisihuanxilu 25, Haidian District, Beijing, China. Article

2005 – Thiago J. Izzo – Coordenaçao de Pesquisa em Ecologia, INPA—Brasil; Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Braxil.  Article

2004 – Carlos Garcia-Robledo – Department of Biology, University of Miami, FL, U.S.A.. Article

2002 – Elma E. Kay – Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. Article