July 21, 2010
Zoology graduate student captures national award
CARBONDALE, Ill -- A zoology student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale has won a national award for assisting fisheries development.
Bonnie Mulligan won the John E. Skinner Memorial Award from American Fisheries Society. A graduate student from Donnelson, Iowa, Mulligan is the daughter of Shirley Mulligan of Donnelson.
The award provides travel funds for deserving graduate students or exceptional undergraduates to attend the AFS annual meeting. This year’s meeting is set for Sept. 12-16 in Pittsburgh.
The award honors students for their activities in fisheries or related aquatic disciplines. An AFS committee chooses the winners based on their service record and participation in professional fisheries development, said James Garvey, director of the Fisheries & Illinois Aquaculture Center at SIUC. It also considers academic qualifications and reasons for attending the meeting.
“The Fisheries & Illinois Aquaculture Center and Department of Zoology have a long history of capturing student awards in fisheries and aquaculture at the national level,” Garvey said. “We could not be prouder of all our students' accomplishments in research, teaching, and service.”
In addition to travel expenses of up to $800, winners also receive a one-year paid membership to the AFS.
Mulligan is working with Jesse Trushenski, assistant professor of zoology, on her master’s degree. Her thesis project involves exploring the impact of soy oils on tilapia nutrition.