Dr. Gene E. Likens

The U.S. Forest Service honored Institute President and Director Dr. Gene E. Likens with a Science Leadership Award for his pioneering research on watershed ecology. The award was presented at the Forest Service's Centennial Congress, held in Washington, D.C. this past January. Award co-recipients included Drs. F. Herbert Bormann, Robert S. Pierce and Noye M. Johnson. Together the four scientists founded the long-term investigation of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study, located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Research performed at Hubbard Brook has revealed valuable insight into how watersheds respond to human-induced environmental change, from air pollution to logging.

On June 11, 2003, the Asahi Glass Foundation announced that IES Director Dr. Gene E. Likens was a co-recipient of the 2003 Blue Planet Prize for outstanding scientific research that helps to solve global environmental problems. Dr. Likens was awarded the distinction along with Dr. F. Herbert Bormann, his long-time collaborator at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire.

Dr. Gene E. Likens received the National Medal of Science at a White House ceremony on 12 June 2002. More details...

A video of the The 2001 National Medals White House Awards Ceremony and a video of The Lives and Accomplishments of the 2001 National Medals Laureates is available.

Dr. Likens obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1962); M.S., from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1959); and B.S. degree from Manchester College (1957).

He has received nine Honorary Degrees from:

• Manchester College (D.Sc., 1979)
• Rutgers University (D.Sc., 1985)
• Plymouth State College [University System of New Hampshire] (D.Sc., 1989)
• Miami University (D.Sc., 1990)
• Union College (Doctor of Humane Letters, 1991)
• Universität für Bodenkultur, Vienna, Austria (Doctor, H.C., 1992)
• Marist College (D.Sc., 1993)
• Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands (D.Sc., 1998)
• University of Connecticut, Storrs (D.Sc., 2004)

Following a postdoctoral appointment in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he was on the faculty of Dartmouth College (Instructor/Associate Professor, 1963-69) and faculty of Cornell University (Associate Professor/Professor, 1969-1983). In January 1983 he was named Cornell University’s Charles A. Alexander Professor of Biological Sciences. While at Cornell University, he served as Chairman of the Section of Ecology and Systematics.

Currently, Dr. Likens is President and Director of the Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York. He also holds professorships at Cornell University, Yale University, Rutgers University, SUNY-Albany, and the University of Connecticut, Storrs. In April 2000 he was appointed to the G. Evelyn Hutchinson Chair in Ecology at IES.

Dr. Likens’ research interests are focused on long-term, multidisciplinary studies of forest, stream and lake ecosystems in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The objectives are to evaluate energy flow and biogeochemical fluxes for northern hardwood forest watershed-ecosystems, streams and for a small lake. These studies, done in cooperation with students and colleagues from Cornell University, Yale University, Dartmouth College, USDA Forest Service, Syracuse University, USDI Geological Survey, etc., are designed to delineate the biological, physical, and chemical parameters, and to assess the biological implications of human alterations of these ecosystems (e.g. by clear-cutting or acid rain). Experimental manipulations of entire ecosystems (watersheds) are used in these studies. Limnological investigations evaluate the effect of forest clearing, construction of an interstate highway and housing developments in the watershed of Mirror Lake. Dr. Likens also studies effects of acid rain on natural ecosystems, evaluating the effect of human activities on precipitation chemistry, the chemistry of precipitation in remote regions of the Southern Hemisphere and the chemistry of cloud water, and the ecology and biogeochemistry of aquatic ecosystems.

Dr. Likens is:

• an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences (1981)
• an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1979)
• an elected Foreign Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (1988), the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters (1994), and the Austrian Academy of Sciences (2000)
• an Honorary Member of the British Ecological Society (1991)
• a former president of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, the Ecological Society of America, and the American Institute of Biological Sciences (2002)
• Current President of the International Association of Theoretical and Applied Limnology (2001 - 2004) (2004 - 2007)
• an elected lifetime member of the International Water Academy, Norway (2003)
• an Honorary Member of the International Association for Ecology (INTECOL) (2005)
• an elected member of the American Philosophical Society (2006)

Selected awards and fellowships Dr. Likens has received:

• American Motors Conservation Award (1969)
• NATO Senior Fellowship, England and Sweden (1969)
• Guggenheim Fellowship (1973)
• the first G.E. Hutchinson Award for excellence in research, presented by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (1982)
• Regents Medal of Excellence (presented by the Bicentennial Board of Regents and the State University of New York, 1984)
• U.S. Forest Service 75^th Anniversary Award for significant contributions to forestry and conservation (USDA 1980)
• New York Academy of Sciences Award, in recognition of his worldwide influence in ecology and environmental education through the results of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study that led to discoveries of major importance including acid rain and forest harvesting practices (1986)
• International ECI Prize (third recipient overall, first prize given in Limnetic Ecology), The Ecology Institute, Oldendorf/Luhe, Germany (1988)
• AIBS Distinguished Scientist Award, American Institute of Biological Sciences (1990)
• Garden Club of America Special Citation Award (1992)
• Tyler Prize, The World Prize for Environmental Achievement (1993)
• Australia Prize for Science and Technology (1994)
• Einar Naumann-August Thienemann Medal, Societas Internationalis Limnologiae (1995)
• Eminent Ecologist, Ecological Society of America (1995)
• Distinguished Service Award, Hudson River Environmental Society (1997)
• R.A. Vollenweider Award and Lectureship in Aquatic Sciences, granted annually to an eminent freshwater scientist for global contribution to advancement of aquatic sciences, National Water Research Institute/Canada Centre for Inland Waters (1998)
• Storm King Award, Scenic Hudson (1998)
• Award of Excellence, National Council of State Garden Clubs (1999)
• AIBS Lifetime Accomplishment Award (2000)
• Huxley Medal, Institute of Biology, London (2001)
• National Medal of Science, 2001; (awarded, June 2002)
• Blue Planet Prize, Japan (2003)
• Miegunyah Fellowship, University of Melbourne, Australia (2004)
• Science Leadership Award, U.S. Forest Service 100th Anniversary, U.S. Department of Agriculture (2005)
• Centennial Award, Botanical Society of America (2006)

Dr. Likens is author/co-author/editor of 15 books, and more than 485 published scientific articles.

For a listing of publications, a cv, and more information, please see Dr. Likens' research page.