The 2017 recipient of the Joseph Grinnell Award is Dr. Robert M. Timm, Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Curator of the Division of Mammals at the University of Kansas, Lawrence Kansas. Bob's career exemplifies the integration of teaching and research and his contributions to education in Mammalogy span formal classroom instruction, field-based courses, mentoring of graduate students, facilitation of museum-based research, and public outreach.
At the University of Kansas, Bob taught Mammalogy, Diversity of Life, History and Diversity of Organisms, Introductory Biology, and courses in Tropical Ecology. His field-based courses through the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) program researched hundreds of students and inspired many Latin American students to continue their studies in Mammalogy. Students describe their experiences in these courses as having had a profound impact on their career trajectories, and setting the example for how they now teach their own courses.
Bob is widely recognized by his colleagues for being particularly helpful to minority, international, and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. He has recruited Native American students for work in Central America and has found money to support their course and research expenses. He has spent countless hours working with Spanish-speaking students to perfect their English-language manuscripts. And, when visiting various countries, has volunteered his time in national and regional museums, donating specimens and reprints, sorting out their problem cases, and encouraging young museum curators in their efforts. He is known to be a truly Equal Opportunity teacher, mentor, and colleague.
In recognition of his outstanding and sustained contributions to the integration of education and museum science, for his success in augmenting diversity within our discipline, and for his consistent focus on always doing what is best for the student, the American Society of Mammalogists names Dr. Robert M. Timm as the recipient of the 2017 Joseph Grinnell Award.
(Photo courtesy of Deedra McClearn, 2007)