Over the course of this spring and summer, we’re highlighting all of the previously announced recipients of this year’s AOS awards on the blog. This week, the 2020 William Brewster Memorial Award.
The William Brewster Memorial Award recognizes the author or coauthors of an exceptional body of work on birds of the Western Hemisphere. Established in 1921, the award consists of the Brewster Memorial Medal and an honorarium. This award honors William Brewster, one of the founding members of the American Ornithologists’ Union. In 2020, AOS presents two separate William Brewster Awards, one to Regina Macedo and one to John Rotenberry.
Dr. Macedo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Zoology at Brazil’s University of Brasilia. Elected a Fellow of AOS in 2009, she is a pioneer in Brazilian ornithology and behavioral ecology and was the only avian behavioral ecologist in Brazil for many years. Her work on sociality in Guira Cuckoos remains a unique contribution in avian ecology and science. Since her initial discoveries of cooperative breeding and infanticide in Guira Cuckoos, she has broadly expanded her disciplinary focus to incorporate molecular ecology, parasitology, diet studies, and other areas if inquiry into her field studies. Her work on the cuckoos and other tropical birds has resulted in a remarkable body of work, including 6 books, 11 book chapters, and almost 100 peer-reviewed papers focused on sexual selection in birds of the Neotropics. Dr. Macedo’s achievements are especially remarkable given the challenges that she has faced working with very limited resources. She has spent a tremendous amount of time mentoring her graduate students as well as recruiting students into the study of behavioral ecology. Her mentorship has resulted in her former students taking on some of the most prestigious scientific positions in Brazil.
In recognition of the indelible mark she has made on the study of avian ecology in the Western Hemisphere, AOS is deeply honored to award Regina Macedo a 2020 Brewster Award.