USU Wildland Resources Faculty Honored at International Meeting

Utah State University faculty members Christopher Call and John Malechek received top awards at the 60th annual international Society for Range Management meeting held Feb. 10-16 in Reno, Nev.

Call, associate professor in the College of Natural Resources’ Department of Wildland Resources, received the 2007 Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award. He was selected from nominees from throughout United States and other participating countries by a committee representing the SRM and the Range Science Education Council. The award recognizes excellence in teaching and advising range management students at the undergraduate level.

 

Call, who joined USU’s faculty in 1987, also serves as adjunct professor in the college’s Department of Environment and Society. His area of expertise is vegetation manipulation and management.

 

John Malechek, professor in the Department of Wildland Resources, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the College of Natural Resources and Utah State University during the SRM gathering. In a citation presented to Malechek by CNR Dean Nat B. Frazer and Johan du Toit, department head of Wildland Resources, Malechek was praised for “his ability to lead, inspire and collaborate with others.”

 

Malechek joined USU in 1970 and served as head of the department, formerly known as Rangeland Resources, from 1986-2000. During his tenure, Malechek has taught more than 100 course offerings in such topics as rangeland management, range livestock/wildlife relationships and rangeland ecosystem management. His main research focus is range herbivore nutrition and his research programs, conducted in the United States and overseas, have resulted in more than 110 technical publications and presentations.

 

Malechek served as major professor for 33 graduate students – many of whom later became influential in their professions. He served as an advisor to USU’s student chapter of the Society for Range Management and was named CNR Advisor of the Year in 1999.

 

“(Dr. Malechek) has touched the lives of many people at Utah State University,” said Frazer. “He will always be known for his generosity of spirit, and this has been most evident in how freely he has given his time over the years with students, faculty and staff.”

 

 

 

Contact: Nat B. Frazer [nat.frazer@usu.edu], 435-797-2445