Grace Casselberry Receives Eugenie Clark Award
Content
Dr. Grace Casselberry, postdoctoral research associate in the College of Natural Sciences’s Department of Environmental Conservation, recently received the esteemed Eugenie Clark Award from the American Elasmobranch Society (AES). The award honors the legacy of Dr. Eugenie Clark, a pioneer in the field of shark biology, by recognizing female early-career scientists who demonstrate uncommon perseverance, dedication, and innovation in biological research and public outreach on elasmobranch fishes (including sharks, skates, and rays).
“Receiving the Eugenie Clark Award from AES is an incredible honor, because of the trailblazing Dr. Clark did for our field,” said Casselberry. “To be recognized by my colleagues and society in this way is especially humbling. I have always been proud of the shark research that I have led—the majority of which has taken place here at UMass Amherst—but to receive this level of professional recognition shows that the long days on the water or crunching data were worth it.”
Grace is just the sixth woman to receive the award, which is not given annually and has not been presented since 2022. It is the highest honor that AES gives to early-career women.
Andy Danylchuk, professor of fish conservation in the Department of Environmental Conservation, considers this yet another step in an impressive and ascendant career: “It has been impressive watching Grace’s career unfold. She is fearless in her approach when addressing controversial topics—topics that others are nervous to tackle yet have important implications for the conservation of sharks. Grace was an outstanding graduate student in my lab and is now a wonderful colleague that deserves the recognition she is receiving through the Eugenie Clark Award.”
Dr. Casselberry’s work focuses on the spatial ecology and predator-prey dynamics of shark species. Her dissertation research at UMass Amherst integrated acoustic telemetry tracking data, visual surveys, and social science to explore shark interactions in recreational fisheries—including depredation, the partial or complete removal of a hooked fish—with a specific emphasis on great hammerhead sharks and Atlantic tarpon in the Florida Keys.
Receiving the Eugenie Clark Award emphasizes the work Grace has done to position herself as a leader in field-based shark research. Case in point: Casselberry was honored as a NOAA Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar, and, more recently, was awarded the American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship from the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
Click here to learn more about the Eugenie Clark Award.