Clint Boal, a professor in Texas Tech University's Department of Natural Resources Management and Assistant Leader of the USGS Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in Lubbock, has received The Wildlife Society's 2020 W.L. McAtee and G. V. Burger Award for Outstanding Service as an associate editor.

The award recognizes the outstanding work of an associate editor for The Wildlife Society's two peer-reviewed journals: the Journal of Wildlife Management and the Wildlife Society Bulletin. Boal has served as an associate editor for the Wildlife Society Bulletin since 2010. During that time, he has served under four editors-in-chief and handled 86 manuscripts on a variety of topics.

In naming Boal, the awards committee found that he consistently ranks among the top three associate editors with regard to the number of manuscripts handled for the journal, and that he strives to provide rapid turnaround for manuscripts in his charge. In addition, Boal is known for challenging authors to improve their manuscripts and works with authors, often through several revisions, to make their work both scientifically robust and useful to wildlife managers.

To be considered for the award, an associate editor must have served for at least two consecutive years. The editor-in-chief of each journal may nominate an individual based on the number of articles handled, the timeliness of reviews, the quality of reviews and the nominee's willingness to help authors get their work published.

"Despite the workload and long tenure as associate editor, Dr. Boal continues to invest more time per manuscript than nearly any other associate editor for the Wildlife Society Bulletin," wrote David Haukos, former Wildlife Society Bulletin Editor-In-Chief in his nomination letter. "This investment is clear when one assesses the rigor and quality of manuscripts that he recommends for publication. His reviews are always positive with considerable thought given to how authors will respond to reviewed comments."

Recent honors for Boal include the Raptor Research Foundation's Fran & Frederick Hamerstrom Award (2019), the most prestigious award presented by the foundation. It is given in recognition of an individual who has contributed significantly to the understanding of raptor ecology and natural history. In addition, he was elected as a 2019 American Ornithological Society Elective Member (2019), an honor based on significant contributions to ornithology. Founded in 1883, the American Ornithological Society is recognized as one of the world's oldest and largest international ornithological societies.

Boal has authorship/co-authorship of more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and 200 professional presentations focused on ecology, conservation and management of avian species, editorship of two books, and chairing of two international symposiums. In addition he's served in several capacities of governance of ornithological societies, including past service as president of the Raptor Research Foundation.

In addition, he has more than two decades of research projects involving Cooper's Hawks, Northern Goshawks, Mississippi Kites, Golden Eagles, American Kestrels, Swainson's Hawks, Zone-Tailed Hawks, Common Black Hawks, Burrowing Owls, among others. Recently, he co-edited the book Urban Raptors: Ecology and Conservation of Birds of Prey in Cities with independent researcher Cheryl Dykstra. Boal's other book, Ecology and Conservation of Lesser Prairie-Chickens, co-edited with Haukos from the USGS Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, won the 'Scientific Book of the Year Award' in 2018 from the national and Texas chapters of The Wildlife Society.

Boal, who joined the Texas Tech faculty and the USGS Texas Cooperative Unit in 2000, currently has a long-term research project in the British Virgin Islands, with publications coming from this work on Blackpoll Warblers, Bridled Quail-Doves, Bananaquits and other species. The Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit was established at Texas Tech in 1988.

Contributing: Managing Editor David Frey – The Wildlife Society

CONTACT: Warren Conway, Chairman and Bricker Endowed Chair in Wildlife Management, Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2841 or warren.conway@ttu.edu

1001NM20