Environmental Stewardship Award

Environmental Stewardship Award

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2024 Winner: Lucinda B. Johnson

Dr. Lucinda B. Johnson is an aquatic and landscape ecologist whose research focuses on the impacts of multiple stressors on aquatic ecosystems with emphasis on human activities (e.g., land use) and climate change. She has recently been named a Senior Research Fellow after stepping down as the Director of Research at the Natural Resources Research Institute of the University of Minnesota Duluth. She leads and advises multidisciplinary research teams that address issues of regional to global concern, with particular emphasis on the Laurentian Great Lakes. Her research and advisory activities lie at the nexus of research, management, and policy. She currently serves as U.S. Co-Chair of the International Joint Commission’s Science Advisory Board Science Priority Committee, also serves as vice chair of the Executive Committee for EPA’s Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC), and has served on the Minnesota Governor’s Climate Change Advisory Council. During her career, she has participated in a number of EPA Advisory Panels that were especially relevant to SFS, including Lake Erie Phosphorus Reduction, Effects of Connectivity on Downstream Waters (an ongoing effort to expand coverage under the Clean Waters Act), Mountaintop Mining, and Benchmarks for a Conductivity Standard. As vice chair of the EPA BOSC she led the review of the agency’s research on PFAS.

Lucinda served as NABS Secretary for two terms, as NABS President (during which the society’s name was changed to SFS), and was named an SFS Fellow in 2020. Lucinda credits mentors and colleagues, especially Judy Meyer and Cliff Dahm, with providing opportunities early in her career that opened doors to the deeply satisfying work involved in environmental stewardship.

From Dr. Johnson's letter of nomination for this award:

Dr. Lucinda Johnson’s entire career has been leading multidisciplinary teams and focused research on freshwater ecosystem rehabilitation and conservation. This background has allowed her to forge new engagements between ecosystem studies and industrial remediation. Her advisory roles on top tier boards and committees have been impactful in informing public policy and management decisions. And, of course, her role in the University of Minnesota as an educator and mentor to many up-and-coming freshwater scientists leaves an impressive legacy.

About the Award:

The recipient of the SFS Enivironmental Stewardship Award will be a Society member or non-member who has successfully translated scientific knowledge into the social/public arena through policy or regulatory reform, research that enhances freshwater ecosystem rehabilitation or conservation, or public outreach and science education that strengthens public support for managing freshwater ecosystems. The nominating letter should clearly and directly link the nominee’s activities to positive policy, conservation, and/or societal outcomes regarding the preservation and wise management of freshwater ecosystems. Nominations of people from underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to increase the diversity of SFS Awardees. Submit your nominations for the SFS Environmental Stewardship Award here.

Recipients