MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Tom Moorman, Ph.D., will replace the retiring Scott Yaich, Ph.D., as chief scientist for Ducks Unlimited. Moorman will serve as the organization's leader on waterfowl and habitat science, provide continental vision and direction in addressing DU's science needs and ensure DU maintains its standing and credibility as a top notch science-based organization.
"Tom has been a vital part of DU's conservation team for more than 25 years," said DU Chief Conservation Officer Paul Schmidt. "He has had a notable career serving in a number of capacities over that time, but his passion has always been for the science underpinning our conservation programs."
Moorman will be the key spokesperson for DU on waterfowl biology and management at the national and international levels, including engagement in the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) and the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP).
Most recently serving as the head of DU's 13-state Southern Region, Moorman came into the public spotlight as the leader of DU's Gulf Coast Oil Spill Response Team in 2010, but his contributions to wildlife management and conservation planning have been known in the field for some time.
Moorman guided DU's planning and evaluation in the Southern Region to strengthen the science underlying DU's conservation programs. He has made a marked difference in the efficiency and impact of waterfowl habitat delivery across the migration and wintering grounds of the Central, Atlantic and Mississippi flyways.
"I am very excited to take on the role of chief scientist as DU enters its 80th year of continental conservation," Moorman said. "Science has been the foundation of DU's conservation work for eight decades, and I am looking forward to further strengthening the science foundation of our work in cooperation with Ducks Unlimited Canada and Ducks Unlimited de Mexico to guide our conservation efforts across North America well into the future."
Moorman received a Bachelor of Science from Ohio University, a master's in wildlife science from Auburn and a doctorate in wildlife ecology from the State University of New York. He has received a number of awards from in and outside of Ducks Unlimited, including the national 2012 Jim McDonough Award from The Wildlife Society.
Moorman will assume his new position on March 1, and will be working out of DU's National Headquarters in Memphis, Tenn.
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13.6 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.
Media Contact:
Andrea "Andi" Cooper
Communications Specialist
Ducks Unlimited – Southern Region
(601) 956-1936
acooper@ducks.org
@DUSouthernNews
