The Fired Up Feature
Nominate an individual or group you believe is worth featuring in Wildfire Magazine.
Wildfire Magazine would like to publish stories about unique contributions made by individuals and groups to the Wildland Fire Community. The new “Fired Up” feature will highlight those who have made strides in advancing and contributing to wildfire/bushfire operations, mitigation/prevention, training, and research. Contributions can be anywhere from ground-level through administration as long as they are noteworthy or innovative.
We invite IAWF members and the wildland fire community at large to submit recommendations for individuals and groups that deserve to have their stories shared for publication.
We will need justification for recognition, a short bio, and a photo of the individual or group at work (if you have one). All IAWF members, as well as people supporting the global wildland fire community, are eligible to nominate individuals as well as to be recognized.
Visit our webpage for more information or to submit: https://www.iawfonline.org/fired-up/
2019 scholarship recipients announced
Each year IAWF awards two graduate-level scholarships typically valued at $3,000 USD to M.Sc. or Ph.D. students studying wildland fire or related topics. Students submit essays that are evaluated by an international panel of fire experts. One award recipient is chosen for the M.Sc. level and one for the Ph.D. level. The IAWF has been presenting this award annually since 2007.
We are pleased to announce the 2019 recipients.
Samuel Hillman, PhD Candidate. RMIT University, Australia
Sam is completing his Ph.D. with the Remote Sensing Centre at RMIT University. Having always had a passion for the outdoors, Sam graduated with a Bachelor of Environments from the University of Melbourne and a Masters of Geospatial Science from RMIT University before taking up a graduate position with Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic). In conjunction with summer firefighting roles, Sam’s work at FFMVic focuses on managing the collection of fuel hazard information across the state. Seeing a growing need to invest in new technologies for efficient hazardous fuel data collection, Sam has returned to further study while continuing his role with FFMVic part-time.
Sam’s Ph.D. project explores the use of innovative methods for estimating below canopy forest structure for fuel hazard assessments. More specifically, the research investigates the utility of image-based and LiDAR point clouds derived from terrestrial and airborne sources to describe the cover, height, and structure of below canopy vegetation.
Sam enjoys working with fire scientists and practitioners across Australia to improve the utility of this research. He is currently based in North America collaborating with research partners at the Rocky Mountain Research Station in Missoula, Montana and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver to test these technologies outside of Australian forest systems. He is passionate about connecting innovative research to operations and believes that transitioning to a 3D paradigm will allow more accurate quantification and characterization of fuel, leading to improved operational and ecological decision making.
Megan Rennie, Master of Science Candidate, Atmospheric Sciences. University of Nevada, Reno.
Megan completed her bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric Sciences with a minor in Mathematics in 2018 at the University of Nevada, Reno. She is working on her Masters in the Atmospheric Sciences program with a certification in Renewable Energy from the College of Engineering. Megan has always had an interest in aerosols and their interactions with the atmosphere. Megan presently works as a graduate research assistant in the Division of Atmospheric Sciences at the Desert Research Institute where she performs open combustion in the laboratory, measuring the chemical and optical properties from the aerosols that are emitted. She is studying burning emissions of invasive species of the U.S. Intermountain West, where more frequent wildland fires are changing the landscape ecology.
2020 IAWF Award Nominations
The IAWF invites you to nominate some very deserving folks for these prestigious, annual awards. The recipient does not need to be an IAWF member to receive an award. If you’ve nominated someone in the past and they were not selected as the recipient, please do not hesitate to re-nominate them. At times we have numerous stellar nominations however are only able to select one person per award.
The nomination deadline is December 2, 2019. Awards will be announced and/or presented at one of our 2020 IAWF conferences.
Ember Award for Excellence in Wildland Fire Science: The Ember Award recognizes sustained achievement in wildland fire science. The name ‘Ember’ was chosen to reflect the fact that research and science often move slowly, and the benefits or impacts may not be apparent for years or more.
Firebreak Award for Excellence in Wildland Fire Management: This award was established to honor achievements and excellence in the management of wildland fire programs. It recognizes an individual who has made lasting contributions in program management and inspired others through their creativity, innovation, leadership, application, guidance, and communication in response to challenging and controversial wildland fire management issues
Early Career Award in Fire Science: This award recognizes a promising early-career professional who has demonstrated outstanding ability in any field of wildland fire science. Early career is nominally taken to include professionals who are under 40 years of age when nominated.
Early Career Award in Fire Operations: This award recognizes a promising early-career professional who has demonstrated outstanding ability in any field of wildland fire operations. Early career is nominally taken to include professionals who are under 40 years of age when nominated.
Visit our webpage for details and submission information: https://www.iawfonline.org/awards/
