KATIE M. DUGGER
The Cooper Ornithological Society (COS) is pleased to bestow Honorary Membership to Dr. Katie M. Dugger, for her outstanding service to the Society and to ornithology. Katie is originally from Milpitas, California, and received her undergraduate degree at University California Davis, and her MS and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Missouri. After graduating she joined the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Oregon State University as Assistant Professor in 2001. In 2011 she joined the Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (USGS) as Assistant Coop Unit Leader for Wildlife.
Katie's research interests center on estimating and modeling vital rates in relation to environmental variation. Her work addresses the conservation and management of species and ecosystems. The animal species and ecological systems with which she and her students and colleagues have worked are diverse, from Adélie Penguins in Antarctica, Spotted Owls, slender salamanders and black-tailed deer in the Pacific Northwest, and Rusty Blackbirds in Alaska, to Least Terns on the Mississippi River. Katie is best-known for her long-term work on Adélie Penguins and is featured in the video Thin Ice. She is a co-author on 28 peer-reviewed papers, 4 technical reports, and 1 book chapter.
Katie began her service to the Cooper Ornithologial Society on the Mewaldt-King Award Committee (2000–2002). She served on the Board of Directors (2006–2009) and was the COS representative to the Local Committee for the 2008 Joint Meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union, the Cooper Ornithological Society, and the Society of Canadian Ornithologists/Société des Ornithologistes du Canada that took place in Portland, Oregon. She served as Treasurer of the Cooper Society (2008–2012), and her meticulous attention to detail and analytical skills helped to guide COS management during this time.
Thus, the Cooper Ornithological Society is proud to award Honorary Membership to Dr. Katie S. Dugger for her outstanding contributions to our Society and to ornithology.
MERCEDES S. FOSTER
The Cooper Ornithological Society is pleased to bestow Honorary Membership to Dr. Mercedes S. Foster, for her outstanding service to the Society and to ornithology. Mercedes is from Oakland, California, and received her undergraduate and master of science degrees from the University of California Berkeley. She was first introduced to the Cooper Ornithological Society during her time as a student, and then again later while working in curatorial positions at Berkeley. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of South Florida after furthering her academic pursuits at the University of Chicago, Organization for Tropical Studies (Costa Rica), and Duke University Marine Laboratory. She has held her position as Research Zoologist and Curator of Birds with the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History and Patuxent National Wildlife Research Center since 1980.
Mercedes' research interests are diverse but can be broadly characterized as behavior and ecology of Neotropical birds and frogs. Her publication record includes more than 65 papers in peer-reviewed journals, many as sole author. She has co-authored 18 book chapters, and co-edited 4 books on monitoring techniques, and an Ornithological Monograph, Neotropical Ornithology. A few of the many topics that Mercedes has covered in her publications include pterylography of Orange-crowned Warbler, ecology and nutrition of frugivorous tropical birds, lek behavior of tropical birds, reports of new species of herpetiles, and perspectives on collecting museum specimens. Mercedes' research on Neotropical ecology led to her strong and persistent interest in preserving Neotropical biodiversity and training Latin American students in ornithology and ecology. In 2006, the Association of Field Ornithologists recognized Mercedes' research and efforts in conservation and training of students with the Alexander Skutch Medal for Excellence in Tropical Ornithology.
Mercedes is a life member of the Cooper Ornithological Society. She won the A. Brazier-Howell student paper award in 1967. Her service to the COS began with a term on the Council and as Associate Editor for The Condor from 1975 to 1978. Mercedes served on the Board of Directors (2005–2008), as President-Elect (2008–2009), and as President (2010–2011). She managed the journal exchange program (2008–2013), and has served on the Katma Award (2007–2008, chair 2008) and Miller Award (chair 2004–2006) committees. She has also judged student papers at meetings. Mercedes was a leading force in the efforts in 2010–2012 to increase collaboration among the ornithological societies in North America to better serve both scientists and the birds they study.
Thus, the Cooper Ornithological Society is proud to award Honorary Membership to Dr. Mercedes Foster for her outstanding contributions to our Society and to ornithology.
MICHAEL A. PATTEN
The Cooper Ornithological Society is pleased to bestow Honorary Membership to Dr. Michael A. Patten, for his outstanding service to the Society and to ornithology. Michael is originally from Southern California. He received his undergraduate degree in computer science from the University of California Riverside and then made the fortunate decision to pursue a Ph.D. in Biology at UC Riverside. He studied with COS Honorary Member Dr. John Rotenberry. After graduating he held a post-doctoral position at Dartmouth College before joining the faculty of the Department of Biology at the University of Oklahoma. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Biology Department at the University of Oklahoma and Director of Research for the Sutton Avian Research Center.
Michael's research interests can be broadly described as conservation biogeography. Michael is a prolific writer and his resume includes 2 books (coauthor and coeditor), 6 sole authored and 50 coauthored peer-reviewed papers in major journals, 5 book chapters, and numerous published reports and notes in other journals. He is an accomplished birder and has a strong interest in systematics and natural history. A few of the species and systems included in his research are Prairie Chickens and grassland songbirds in the Great Plains, Song Sparrow systematics in California, and birds of the Salton Sea. The symposium on birds of the Salton Sea that he organized for the 2000 COS meeting led to Volume 27 in the Studies in Avian Biology series.
The Cooper Ornithological Society benefitted greatly from Michael's writing and editing skills during his tenure as Editor-in-Chief of The Condor (2009–2013). He implemented a new model for Journal review, the Board of Reviewing Editors, which increased efficiency and turnaround times for manuscripts. He also created the Early-Career Editorial Board, which gave students the opportunity to review papers under the guidance of their major advisors. This program benefitted The Condor in that reviews from students were often insightful and fresh. Michael's goal was to provide experience for students who hopefully will increase their commitment to the COS as well. In addition, Michael made extensive outreach efforts to Latin American scientists through the Latin American Editorial Board and workshops at conferences in Central and South America.
Thus, the Cooper Ornithological Society is proud to award Honorary Membership to Dr. Michael A. Patten for his outstanding contributions to our Society and to ornithology.
