Center Researcher Honored for Distinguished Science
Kurt Riitters is mellow and soft-spoken, qualities that might be unexpected for a world-renowned landscape ecologist, but his passion for his work is undeniable. “I’ve worked for four federal agencies, and the U.S. Forest Service is the best,” he said upon accepting the Distinguished Scientist Award from Southern Research Station Director Rob Doudrick on October 14. With the award, Riitters is recognized for global leadership in his research field and for the development and application of landscape pattern analysis techniques and tools, many of which have been adopted by other national and international organizations. His contributions to numerous natural resource assessments at the local, national, and global scale have provided a ‘big picture’ perspective on the causes of changing landscape patterns, the implications for forest processes, and the urgent need to manage lands for sustainability across space and time. Congratulations, Kurt!
Learn more about Riitters' work.
