FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2018
Contact: Martha Wilson
[email protected]
Tel.202.445.9514
JESSE TRUSHENSKI BECOMES PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — Jesse Trushenski, Ph.D., has become the 134th President of the American Fisheries Society (AFS). She assumed office on August 22, 2018, at the AFS 148th Annual Meeting in Atlantic City, where she joined thousands of fisheries scientists and professionals as they gathered from throughout the United States and around the world to share their expertise.
Trushenski is the Director of Science for Riverence and its sister company, Evaqua Farms. In this role, Jesse provides science leadership and research project management support for the company’s aquaculture-related programs and projects.
Before joining the private sector, Trushenski was an Associate Professor at Southern Illinois University and Fish Pathologist Supervisor for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. “Whether it’s fish nutrition, physiology, or health, I have always been driven by the practical applications of science, going from data to information and information to action,” said Trushenski.
“I am honored to have been selected by my colleagues to lead such a prestigious organization. The Society models servant leadership at all levels, and it is a privilege to serve the fisheries community in this way. Fisheries resources have commercial, recreational, cultural, and ecological relevance. They help to define who we are and how we live. AFS aims to protect those resources and, as president, I will build on that commitment.”
Trushenski holds a B.S. degree from Western Washington University and a Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. An active member of AFS for nearly 20 years, Trushenski has worked on several specialist “sections” (e.g., Fish Culture, Physiology) and committees, and on the Governing Board. She chaired the Hatcheries and Management of Aquatic Resources (HaMAR) committee, representing AFS Sections and the perspectives of state and federal agencies to develop science-based guidance on the use of hatcheries and their products. In 2011, Trushenski was honored with the AFS Distinguished Service Award.
“As AFS approaches 150 years of serving the fisheries community, Jesse will help the Society engage on a number of fronts to make fisheries science more accessible, understandable, and relevant to non-scientists,” said AFS Executive Director Doug Austen. “Her continuing efforts to increase diversity within the profession will make a difference, as will her work fostering mentorships and professional development for authors in fisheries science. We look forward to working with her to advance her goals in the coming year.”
On diversity, Trushenski added: “Diversity strengthens populations and makes ecosystems more resilient in the face of change. It is equally essential to the resilience of our profession, as well as its current and future effectiveness. Our profession and Society must better reflect the communities whose resources we study and steward on their behalf.”
Trushenski succeeded Steve McMullin (Associate Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech), who became Immediate Past President on the last day of the AFS Annual Meeting.
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EDITORS’ NOTES
General background: AFS is dedicated to strengthening the fisheries profession, advancing fisheries science, and conserving fisheries resources. Membership is mostly drawn from the scientific community but also includes fisheries professionals such as managers, administrators, educators and consultants.
Founded in 1870, the American Fisheries Society (AFS) is the world’s oldest and largest fisheries science society. The mission of AFS is to improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries professionals. With five journals and numerous books and conferences, AFS is the leading source of fisheries science and management information in North America and around the world.
Specific to the Annual Meeting in Atlantic City: Please see the conference website (AFSannualmeeting.fisheries.org) for more, or download APP (“AFSAnnualMeetings”) and follow the conference on Facebook (@AmericanFisheriesSociety) and Twitter (@AmFisheriesSoc) for the latest news and details on registration and events.
The AFS conference and associated trade show is taking place at the Atlantic City, New Jersey Convention Center and will feature keynote addresses by globally renowned fisheries scientists. Hundreds of scientific abstracts have been submitted for presentation at dozens of symposia featuring key topics and emerging issues in fisheries science. More than 1,500 fisheries scientists and professionals are expected to attend the conference this year.
