James Deacon (Environmental and Public Affairs) received the first E.O. Wilson Award for Outstanding Science in Biodiversity Conservation. The award is given by the Center for Biological Diversity. Over the course of a 52-year career, he has focused on conservation of desert fish and other freshwater species and on sustainable water-use advocacy in the Southwest. His work contributed to the protection of several threatened and endangered aquatic species, helped secure water rights for Death Valley and Zion national parks, and helped create Ash Meadows and Moapa national wildlife refuges in Nevada. "Dr. Deacon's relentless commitment to preserving life in some of its rarest forms, and to conserving the limited resources that sustain us all, makes it a great honor to recognize his life's work with this award," said Kieran Suckling, the center's executive director. "His remarkable career exemplifies the leadership role scientists must take in helping us to better understand and protect the biodiversity of our planet."