Contact: Carolyn Anthon
support@aessonline.org
Office: (202) 503-4638
June 16, 2025
For immediate release
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) has selected the three recipients of the 2025 AESS Awards to be recognized at an awards luncheon during the AESS Annual Conference, June 23-25. Since 2010, these awards have recognized faculty, scholars and students in Environmental Studies and Sciences at all career stages who exemplify the highest standards of teaching, scholarship and service to the AESS community.
The Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences is a scholarly and professional organization that promotes interdisciplinary research, teaching and service for faculty and students in the more than 1,000 Environmental academic programs nationwide and beyond.
2025 Award Recipients
Dr. David Blockstein has been awarded the William R. Freudenburg Lifetime Achievement Award. Named for an AESS founder, Dr. William R. Freudenburg, this Award seeks to recognize and advance the spirit of AESS co-founder, the late Professor William R. Freudenburg, who spawned a new generation of environmental professionals and academics who have pursued interdisciplinary research to address some of the most pressing issues of our time. Through this award, AESS honors members of the profession who have also devoted their lives to strengthening our field by mentoring the next generation of environmental scientists and activists.
An ecologist and conservation biologist, Dr. Blockstein has served throughout his career as a leader in work dedicated to science and the environment. This includes 28 years with the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE), serving as its first Executive Director. In 2001, Dr. Blockstein founded the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD) – the first professional organization for deans and directors of environmental colleges and programs. In addition, he founded the Council of Energy Research and Education Leaders (CEREL) in 2006. He is also one of the founders of the Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS).
His work bridges science and policy; Dr. Blockstein has worked on issues as varied as climate change, energy, biodiversity, and sustainability. His career has emphasized increasing minority representation in the sciences, improving decision-making with science, and using digital tools to communicate more broadly about science and the environment.
He has served on committees for scientific and conservation organizations, to name just a few: the American Association for the Advancement of Science; American Chemical Society; American Society of Zoologists; Society for Conservation Biology; American Ornithologists’ Union; University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences; American Bird Conservancy; World Conservation Union (IUCN); Aldo Leopold Foundation; National Foundation for Environmental Education; and the Environmental Education Coalition. He continues his dedication to science, policy, teaching, and advocacy as co-Director of the Worldwide Climate and Justice Education Week. AESS is excited to recognize Dr. Blockstein for a lifetime of achievements and continual devotion to supporting the next generation of environmental scholars.
Dr. Jacob Park has been recognized with the AESS Mid-Career Award. This Award honors individuals who are mid-career and have made significant contributions to environmental studies or environmental sciences for at least ten years. Through this award, AESS recognizes outstanding accomplishments and sustained excellence in research, policy, activism, or a combination of these areas. Upon learning of his award, Dr. Park shared, “I am grateful to AESS for this award and for recognizing something I have always believed in: the importance of cultivating an integrated interdisciplinary approach to teaching, research, and scholarly engagement.” The committee noted strong scholarship, commitment to interdisciplinarity, contributions to the work of critically important institutions such as the UNEP and IUCN, as well as work supporting the next generation of ESS scholars. Dr. Park exemplifies the spirit of AESS in terms of scholarly and participatory approaches to ESS.
Dr. Corrie Grosse has been awarded the AESS Early Career Award. This Award recognizes outstanding accomplishments and promising future potential for teaching, research, policy, or activism in any field of environmental science and studies. Through this award, AESS honors individuals who are early in their careers, but have made significant contributions to knowledge, community and diversity in environmental studies and science, and have a career plan and trajectory that promise to continue and bolster such contributions. Dr. Grosse is “honored to receive this award from such a welcoming community of scholars and activists devoted to producing, sharing, and applying knowledge to create the world we need.” The committee noted Dr. Grosse’s critically important scholarship, commitment to activism, dedication to inclusivity and justice, and impact on students. Dr. Grosse’s commitments to advance climate justice and engage scholars across disciplines exemplify AESS’s mission to promote collaborative environmental problem-solving.
The Association will also be evaluating poster presentations during the Conference and selecting a recipient for the Student Poster Award.
