The Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy at the University of Miami today announced it will be honoring Terrence "Rock" Salt, former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works, with the 2013 Reitmeister-Abess Center Environmental Stewardship Award. The ceremony will take place on Monday, April 22, 2013 at 4 p.m. at "The Rock" on the University's Coral Gables campus and will also include the inaugural presentation of the Orion Herbs Fieldwork Grant. That grant will go to Karlisa Callwood, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Environmental Science and Policy program.
The Reitmeister-Abess Center Environmental Stewardship Award is presented annually to an individual who has made a singularly significant contribution to conservation, particularly related to water resources and/or endangered species. Prior to his position with the Army, Salt served as the Director of Everglades Restoration Initiatives for the Department of the Interior, where he was responsible for assisting in the development and implementation of administration policies supporting various Everglades restoration programs. He was responsible for coordinating the work of all Interior agencies involved in the Everglades restoration effort, and, therefore, is known as "Mr. Everglades" to many.
The new Orion Herbs Fieldwork Grant was created to assist Abess Center graduate students with travel related to their environmental research. Karlisa Callwood is studying the state of the Bahamian spiny lobster fishery and will use the funding to carry out further site visits for her dissertation.
Dr. Kenny Broad, director of the Abess Center, says, "Terrence Salt has been intimately involved in championing the Everglades in multiple capacities for decades, and we are pleased to be able to recognize his untiring efforts on behalf of the South Florida environment, and his career of stewardship, with this award." He adds, "We're also proud to support the work of Karlisa Callwood, part of a new generation of interdisciplinary researchers committed to integrating social and ecological studies."