The recipient of the 2021 Aldo Leopold award is Dr. Thomas E Lacher Jr of Texas A&M. Dr. Lacher has been a prolific researcher for almost 40 years, conducting research in over 100 countries, including 60 tropical countries during their tenure as Senior Vice-President and Executive Director of the Center for Applied Biodiversity Science (the research division of Conservation International). He is a member of the Climate Change Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and co-chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission/ Small Mammal Specialist Group. He has (co) authored or edited 13 books and monographs and over 215 research articles, including works such as volumes 6 & 7 of Handbook of Mammals of the World, supervised dozens of graduate students, and taught hundreds of undergraduate students. Dr. Lacher was nominated for his “(1) strong scholarly contributions to mammalian conservation, ecology, and ecotoxicology; (2) his commitment to and success in educating and training the next generation of conservation biologists; and (3) his enduring engagement with and leadership of various international conservation organizations that use science to inform policy and management.”