Zeigler Student Achievement Award
The John M. & Marilyn Zeigler Student Achievement Award honors the contributions to student needs of Dr. John Zeigler, the first SMS Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, and Mrs. Marilyn Zeigler. The Zeigler award formally recognizes students who excel in scholarship, leadership, research initiative, outstanding publications, and exceptional thesis or dissertation work.
This year’s recipient is Dr. Lisa Ailloud.
Lisa Ailloud came to VIMS to gain quantitative skills she could apply to the management of migratory species. As her studies progressed, she was asked to review the available information on Bluefin tuna growth and produced a new growth curve that was accepted by ICCAT, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. Lisa then took responsibility for estimating the age composition of the catch—the key input for the stock assessment—and introduced new methods. She spent more than 30 days working at Bluefin stock assessment meetings.
As Clay Porch, Director of the Southeast Fisheries Science Center notes: “What stands out is Lisa’s extraordinary ability to work in the high stakes, politically tenuous environment of Bluefin Tuna management. I have never seen a graduate student take on as much responsibility as Lisa has at a major international stock assessment, and she did so with the poise and confidence of some of our veterans…. Lisa played an influential role from the start.”
While at VIMS, Lisa has received the Olssen Family, SunTrust, and Dean’s fellowships, earned a Sea Grant Fellowship in Population Dynamics, and published 6 papers.
Lisa sets a high standard for student achievement at VIMS, and her exemplary work in Fisheries makes her highly deserving of the Zeigler Award.