AFS Northeastern Division
John Moring Student Travel Award
NY Chapter and Northeast Division Annual Meeting
The American Fisheries Society’s Northeastern Division (NED) supports student travel to its annual meeting through the John Moring Student Travel Award. The award was established in 2003 to honor John’s legacy and promote student engagement in the NED. It is competitive and eligible to all students who will be presenting a poster or oral presentation at the division’s annual meeting and for students who will be attending the meeting to carry out NED business (see procedure manual pages 2-21 and 2-22 for evaluation criteria). This year’s meeting will be held in conjunction with the NY Chapter annual meeting on February 6-8 in Poughkeepskie (see https://newyork.fisheries.org/annual-meeting/ for details). All award recipients will receive $300 for travel expenses and a one-year AFS student membership.
John R. Moring was born in San Diego, California in 1946. He completed his B.S. and M.S. degrees in fisheries from Humboldt State University before earning a Ph.D. in fisheries from the University of Washington in 1973. In 1979, John became the assistant leader of fisheries for the Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, with parallel appointments as professor of zoology and marine sciences at the University of Maine, positions he held until his untimely death in 2002.
John’s research interests included salmonid and stream ecology, the effects of forest management on fish habitat, and the ecology of tide pool fishes. He published 159 scientific papers and dozens of reports, summaries, and abstracts. He was also an accomplished freelance writer, having produced more than 60 articles, humor pieces, short stories, and poems, and two non-fiction books. John joined AFS in 1967 and served at all levels of the Society, including president of the Northeastern Division (1989-90) and president of AFS’s Fisheries History Section (1995-98). In 1997, John received the Dwight Webster Memorial Award, the Northeastern Division’s highest honor.
John was a dedicated researcher and educator, and served as major advisor to 32 graduate students. He was a natural mentor, allowing stumbles but averting disastrous falls, encouraging or pushing as needed, supporting career decisions, and always seeing a project through. John was a wonderful person, extremely considerate of others, generous with his time, and full of lighthearted fun. He reveled in introducing students to science and fisheries, and worked tirelessly to make newcomers feel welcome, both at the university and at society meetings.
To apply, please submit the following:
- A copy of your abstract (if you are presenting a paper or poster) or a statement of how your activities at the meeting will support NED business;
- A letter specifying your need for assistance with travel costs to attend the NED meeting (please include your AFS member number if you are a member); and
- A letter of support from your advisor.
Submit materials electronically by January 2 to:
Sara Turner
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
836 S. Rodney French Blvd
New Bedford, MA 02744
email: [email protected]