WDA Student Awards

BioOne Ambassador Award Competition

The WDA Student Activities Committee (SAC) is happy to announce a new collaboration with BioOne this year. The WDA is now officially part of the BioOne Ambassador Award competition. The competition recognizes early career authors dedicated to communicating the importance and impact of their research to the public. The SAC will nominate one rising scholar who significantly contributed to the Journal of Wildlife Diseases in 2019.

For more information, please click here.

2020 WDA Student Awards Competition


The WDA offers a research recognition award, two scholarship awards in addition to a number of presentation and poster awards at the annual international WDA conference. 

The aim of these awards is to recognize outstanding student research and scholarship in the field of wildlife health, to encourage student participation in the Association and attendance at our annual international conference.

Eligibility criteria and how to apply for one (or more) of the 2020 WDA student awards can be found here >>

To be eligible for a presentation and / or poster award at the annual international WDA conference, please follow the guidelines for student abstracts found here >> Please submit your abstracts via the 2020 annual international WDA/EWDA conference website (#CUENCA2020) by the abstract deadline which is May 3rd, 2020.

Applications for the WDA Student Research Recognition Award and the WDA Student Scholarship Award has now closed. All applicants will be notified of the outcome by the end of April 2020. 

Learn more about the background to the Terry Amundson Presentation award

Questions? Contact Tiggy Grillo, Chair of the WDA Student Awards Committee: tgrillo@wildlifehealthaustralia.com.au

 WDA Student Award Recipients


Year Research Recognition Travel Award Terry Amundson Presentation Award                                         WDA Graduate Student Scholarship Award
 Student Poster Award                                                          
2019 Chris Cleveland,
University of Georgia

and SCWDS
 Anastasia Towe

Honorable Mention:
Kaylee Byers,
University of British Columbia		 Viviana Gonzalez-Astudillo, University of California-Davis

Kaylee Byers, 
University Of British Columbia
 Megan Moriarty

Honorable Mention:
Risa Pesapane
2018
 Sarah Sapp,
University Of Georgia
 Charlie Bahnson, University of Georgia
Honorable mention: Molly Martony,
University of Florida 
 Samantha Allen, 
University Of Guelph, Canada

Jennifer Bloodgood, 
University Of Georgia
 Kayla Kauffman, University Of Wyoming 

Honorable mention: Amanda Dolinski,
Michigan State University
2017 Viviana Gonzalez-Astudillo, the University of Queensland, Australia
 Marlene Haggblade,
Davis School Of Veterinary Medicine, U Of California

Honorable Mention:
Bieneke Bron,
University Of Wisconsin - Madison		 Carolyn Hodo, Texas A&M University, USA.

Charlayna Cammarata, Texas A&M University, USA
 Jamie Rothenburger,
Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph

Honorable mention:
Shannon French,
Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph
2016

Michelle Verant, University of Wisconsin-Madison (now working for National Park Service)

Kristen Davenport, Colorado State Univ

 Honorable Mention:
Stuart Patterson, Royal Veterinary College, Univ of London

Krista Jones, Murdoch Univ

Jamie Rothenburger, Ontario Veterinary College, U of Guelph

Emilie Couture, Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, U of Montreal

Honorable Mention:
Amanda MacDonald, U of Guelph
2015

Stefano Liccioli, Department of Ecosystem and Public Health Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, U of Calgary

 Matilde Tomaselli, U of Calgary

Honorable Mention:
Melia DeVivo, U of Wyoming		 Tiffany Wolf, Veterinary Biomedical Sciences Department, U of Minnesota

Sarah Sapp, U of Georgia

Honorable Mention:
Sarah Michael, Wildbase, IVABS, Massey U
2014 Christina Hansen,
U of Alaska Fairbanks, USA		 Chelsea Himsworth,
U of British Columbia, Canada

Honorable Mention: Taya Forde, U of Calgary, Canada
 Chelsea Himsworth,
U of British Columbia, Canada 		Emily Whitmer, U of California, Davis, USA

Honorable Mention: Nistara Randhawa, U of California, Davis, USA
2013 Morne de Wet
U of Pretoria		 Albert Mercurio
U of Georgia

Honorable Mention:
Ben Stading
U of Wisconsin, Madison
 Michelle Verant U of Wisconsin, Madison Annie Page-Karjian
U of Georgia

Honorable Mention:
Kristin Bondo U of Guelph
2012 Karoun Bagamian
Emory U		 Heather Bryan
U of Calgary U
 Barbara Shock
U of Georgia		 Janie Steele
Royal Veterinary College
2011 Stacie Robinson
U of Wisconsin		 Steven van Beurden
Utrecht U
Caroline Van Hemert
U of Alaska
 Shamus Keeler
U of Georgia		 Samantha Allen
U of Guelph
2010 Jeffery Lorch
U of Wisconsin		 Taiana Costa
U of Georgia
 Sara Hammer
Michigan State		 Julie Ducrocq
U of Montreal
2009 Sarah Hamer
Michigan State U		 Luis Cruz-Martinez
U of Minnesota
 Mark Ruder
U of Georgia		 Jeffrey Lorch
U of Wisconsin
2008 Valerie A. O'Brien
U Tulsa		 Carlos das Neves
Norwegian School of
Veterinary Science		 Nicole Gottdenker
U of Georgia		 Paul Oesterle
Colorado State
2007 Shelly Lachish
U of Queensland		 David R. Edmunds
U of Wyoming		 Leslie Reperant
Princeton U		 Johan Lindsjö
U of Saskatchewan
2006 Justin Brown
U of Georgia		 Pauline Nol
Colorado State
 Krysten Schuler
S. Dakota State
2005 Tammi L. Johnson
Kansas State U		 Emily J. Jenkins
U of Saskatchewan		 Cynthia Tate
U of Georgia
2004 Emily Jenkins
U of Saskatchewan		 Michael Yabsley
U of Georgia		 Justin Brown
U of Georgia
2003 Cynthia Tate
U of Georgia		 Yeen Teen Hwang
U of Saskatchewan		 Andrea Varela
U of Georgia
2002 Samantha Gibbs
U of Georgia		 Catherine Soos
U of Saskatchewan		 Michael Yabsley
U of Georgia
2001 Melissa Miller (Chechowitz)
UC Davis		 Darryn Knobel
U of Pretoria &
James Lloyd-Smith
UC Berkeley		 Lori Sheeler-Gordon
Texas Tech
2000 Catherine Soos
U of Saskatchewan		 Lauren Ritchie
U of Florida		 Mark Cunningham
U of Florida
1999 Scott Terrell
U of Florida		 Todd Cornish
U of Georgia		 Kimberlee Beckman
U of Alaska
1998 Walter Cook
U of Wyoming		 Li-Len Cheng
U of Wisconsin		 Melissa Chechowitz
UC Davis
1997 Igor Mikaelian
U of Montreal		 Don Coyner
U of Florida		 Susan Kutz
U of Saskatchewan
1996 Grace McLaughlin
U of Florida		 Randall Singer
UC Davis
1995 Mitch Lockhart
U of Georgia		 Kirk Smith
U of Georgia
1994 Kirsten Gilardi
UC Davis		 Kathy Burek
U of WIsconsin
1993 Sandra Honour
U of Saskatchewan		 Brita Kraabel
Colorado State &
Charlotte Quist
U of Georgia
1992 Kevin Keel
U of Georgia		 Lisa White
U of Georgia
1991 Katherine List
U of Wyoming		 Ronald Silflow
Washington State
1990 Not awarded Not awarded
1989 Beth Fritz
U of Wisconsin		 Lynn Hayes
U of Georgia
1988 Ronald Silflow
Washington State		 Diana Goldberg
U of Wisconsin
1987 Jeffrey Zuba
U of Wisconsin		 Sandi Black
U of Guelph
1986 Rex Sohn
U of Wisconsin		 Charles Rupprecht
Wistar Institute
1985 Lena Measures
U of Guelph		 Elizabeth Howerth
U of Georgia
1984 Anne Fairbrother
U of Wisconsin		 Tonie Rocke
U of Wisconsin
1983 Mark Drew
U of Alberta		 Lena Measures
U of Guelph
1982 Edwin Jones
Virginia Polytech Institute		 Tonie Rocke
U of Wisconsin &
Anne Fairbrother
U of Wisconsin
1981 Margo Pybus
U of Alberta &
Thomas Scott
Penn State U		 Unknown
1980 Not awarded Cheryl Bartlett
U of Guelph
1979 Robert Swanson
Cornell U &
Terry Amundson
U of Wisconsin &
Joseph Conti
U of Florida &
Donald Davis
Texas A & M		 Terry Amundson
U of Wisconsin
1978 Ann Kier
U of Missouri		 Terry Amundson
U of Wisconsin
1977 Bradley Hicks
U of Guelph
1976 Morley Barrett
U of Alberta
1975 Richard J. Cawthorn
U of Guelph