For his lasting contribution to the conservation of mammals and their habitats, ASU professor and Distinguished Sustainability Scientist Andrew Smith was presented the Aldo Leopold Award by the American Society of Mammalogists.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Leopold Conservation Award from the American Society of Mammalogists,” said Smith, a President’s and Parents Association Professor with the School of Life Sciences. “Aldo Leopold was a giant and everyone working in conservation today stands on his shoulders.”

Smith received the award for his decades of research on the behavioral ecology of mammals, the effects of habitat fragmentation and the ecosystem services provided by small mammals. One of his more recent projects highlighted the importance of China’s Tibetan Plateau pika. He is also known for creating the School of Life Science’s Conservation Biology degree program - one of the first formal programs of its kind in the nation.