Entomological Society of Canada – Gold Medal

2023 Gold Medal

Maya Evenden

The ESC Gold Medal recognizes outstanding achievement in Canadian entomology. The recipient of the 2023 ESC Gold Medal is Dr Maya Evenden, Professor at the University of Alberta.

Maya Evenden has been a professor at the University of Alberta since 2003. Prior to that, she earned her PhD at Simon Fraser University (1998) and worked at the University of Kentucky and West Chester University (Pennsylvania). She has 112 peer-reviewed publications, of which 89 as first or last author, focusing especially on insect pest chemical ecology. Her research contributes to knowledge on intra-species (pheromone) as well as inter-species interactions at several trophic levels. She and her team apply the knowledge gained in the lab to applications in insect pest management such as mating disruption, attracticides, and pheromone-based monitoring.

Dr Evenden created a highly popular MOOC, Bugs 101, that has already been attended by over 40,000 learners from 130 countries in the four years since it went online. For this endeavour, she was awarded the Entomological Society of America’s Science Communication Award (2022) and the University of Alberta’s Remote Teaching Award (2021). She has also been recognized by her employer with a Graduate Mentoring Award (2022), having supervised 30 graduate students. She was recognized by the Entomological Society of Canada with a C. Gordon Hewitt Award (2007).

Dr Evenden has served her professional societies at the highest level, acting as president of the Entomological Societies of Alberta (2006) and Canada (2010), and the International Branch of the Entomological Society of America (2017).

Previous Winners

1962 R.F. Morris
1963 A.W.A. Brown
1964 R. Glen
1965 M.L. Prebble
1966 C.W. Farstad
1967 B.N. Smallman
1968 W.G. Wellington
1969 K.E.F. Watt
1970 C.S. Holling
1971 J.G. Rempel
1972 R.W. Salt
1973 B. Hocking
1974 P.S. Corbet
1975 G.G.E. Scudder
1976 B.P. Beirne
1977 J.A. Downes
1978 R.W. Stark
1979 G.P. Holland
1980 G.E. Ball
1981 D.K. McE. Kevan
1982 E.G. Munroe

1983 F.L. McEwen
1984 K.G. Davey
1985 R.N. Sinha
1986 E.J. Leroux
1987 J.N. McNeil
1988 J.H. Borden
1989 M. Mackauer
1990 S. Tobe
1991 R.G.H. Downer
1992 G.B. Wiggins
1993 (No Award)
1994 T. Royama
1995 R.A. Brust
1996 J. Kukalova-Peck
1997 P. Harris
1998 D.M. Rosenberg
1999 L. Masner
2000 B.J.R. Philogene
2001 J. R. Spence
2002 R.J. Lamb

2003 H. Danks
2004 J. Myers
2005 P. Kevan
2006 R. Ring
2007 C. Gillott
2008 B. Roitberg
2009 N. Holliday
2010 C. Vincent (pdf)
2011 M. Isman
2012 F.A.H. Sperling
2013 S.A. Marshall
2014 David R. Gillespie
2015 Jon Sweeney
2016 Guy Boivin
2017 Gerhard Gries
2018 Jacques Brodeur
2019 Peter G. Mason

2020 Michel Cusson

2021 Gail Anderson

2022 Donna Giberson

Rules

The Entomological Society of Canada Gold Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Canadian entomology (referred to hereafter as the Gold Medal) shall be awarded annually by the Society, save when the Achievement Awards Committee or the Governing Board deem that no awards should be made.

The recipients shall be judged to have made an outstanding contribution to entomology in Canada on the basis, not only of demonstrated competence, but also of one or more of the following criteria:

Superior research accomplishment, either as a single contribution or as a series of associated endeavours, which may be in either entomology per se or a related field in which the results obtained are of great consequence for entomology in Canada;
Meritorious contribution to entomological scholarship or literature, whether or not this be based upon the recipient’s own original research, and whether or not it be based upon predominantly Canadian material, providing that the contribution be identifiably Canadian in origin;
Dedicated and fruitful service in the field of entomological education in Canada;
Unusually valuable practical application of scientific or technological expertise to the credit of entomology in Canada;
Special contributions in the fields of advisory, extension, industrial, or public relations work in or to the credit of entomology in Canada.
Administrative activities leading to the achievements of others or to general advances in the science or prestige of entomology in Canada;
Long and meritorious service to the Society, or to an Affiliate.

No more than one Gold Medal shall be awarded each year, but, where circumstances warrant, more than one individual may be cited in connection with a single Award.

Recipients of the Awards need not be members of the Society, nor need they be domiciled in Canada, providing that their contribution be judged to have, or to have had, major impact on entomology in Canada.

The Award may be made on more than one occasion to the same individual or group of individuals, but only for distinctly different contributions to entomology in Canada.

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