Environmental Science
Outstanding Graduate of the Year 2008-09
David Rupp

David Rupp received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award for 2008-2009. He
was nominated by his major professor, Dr. J. Michael Scott, in the
department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
David conducted the first ever assessment of bird species composition in the
National Wildlife Refuge System. He was able to identify a number of
protected species in the refuge system. That information has been used
nationally by the refuge system to identify potential new refuges and by
Region Three of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to craft a vision
for the National Wildlife Refuge System in 2103, their 200th anniversary.
Also, his findings and those of Anna Pidgorna, a Ph.D. alumna of
Environmental Science, have prompted the National Park Service to join
forces with the University of Idaho and USFWS to identify gaps in refuge
system coverage within national parks. This partnership has huge
implications for how these new conservation systems move forward to meet the
challenge of climate change. Congratulations David!