The National Science Foundation recently awarded Sara Baer (Southern Illinois University), John Blair (Kansas State University) and Scott Collins (UNM) a five year, $450,000 award from the Long-term Research in Environmental Biology Program to continue a long-term study on how environmental heterogeneity affects plant community structure and ecosystem processes during ecological restoration of tallgrass prairie.

The Sevilleta LTER and University of New Mexico have received a five year grant of $1,079,257 from the National Science Foundation for the project entitled, "Grassland sensitivity to climate change at local to regional scales: assessing the roles of ecosystem attributes versus environmental context." The overarching goal of this research is to determine the consequences of chronic drought on biodiversity and ecosystem services in grasslands across precipitation and temperature gradients.

Each year the AAAS Council elects members whose “efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications are scientifically or socially distinguished.” Election as a Fellow of AAAS is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers. Fellows are recognized for meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications.