NYSMEA Awards - Please circulate widely.

Do you know someone worthy of recognition
at our conference?

NYSMEA Award nominations for 2025 are now open
Award Nomination 

Self-nominations are permitted.

Each year NYSMEA recognizes people in several categories of achievement. Please supply the information requested to assist us in our selection of final recipients from those nominated. These categories are: 

Bob Abrams Meritorious Award
Bob Abrams was a founding Member of NYSMEA.  He was the longtime director of outdoor education at the Great Neck Public Schools. He created unique science programming which took students into laboratories as well as out to beaches and upland forested campsites as well as onto boats.

Presented to a member or non-member who has made extraordinary efforts to accomplish the aims of the New York State Marine Education Association.

Past winners:  Sarah Richards, Matt Malina, Adam Riback, Jimena Perez-Viscasillas ____________________________________________________

Hugo and Anita Freudenthal Research Award
During a very varied career (Hugo (1930-2021) was the first to recognize the symbiotic relationship between algae and corals in the 1950s. He was also the inventor of the first astronaut toilet! Anita was the first, and only, Marine Biologist for Nassau County. Both taught in the Graduate Department of Marine Sciences at C.W. Post College. (Hugo was the founder of the department and chairperson for several years.)

Presented to a member or non-member, scientist or educator who has made a significant contribution to furthering our knowledge of the marine environment. 

Past winner: Artie Kopelman, John Tanacredi, Ellen Pikitch ____________________________________________________

Karen Hensel Innovation Award. 

Karen Hensel (1944-2023), a founder of NYSMEA, was the first education director at the New York Aquarium in the modern era. She then was the director of the Norwalk Aquarium, assisting in the design of this facility. Karen capped off her career as the director during the reorganization of the East Hampton Historical Society museums. She was always an innovator, creating new programs for the benefit of students and the general public.

Presented to a member or nonmember for innovative contributions in marine science museum exhibitions, media, or programming. 

Past winner: Adam Green, Mauricio Gonzalez, Enrico Nardone _____________________________________________________

Herman Melville Award
Presented to a member or non-member who has made a major contribution to the world of maritime literature and/or art.

Past winners: Stephen Yaeger, Richard Ellis, Maxwell C. Wheat, Richard McDermott, Eugene Kaplan, John Christophe Fine, Matthew Lerman, Katherine A. Kirkpatrick, Carl Safina, Merryl Kafka, Sarah Gruber, Arlene De Strulle, David Helvarg, Alexandra Mancuso, Brianina Lind, Ann McGovern, Charles Denson, Jan Porinchak, Chis Paparo, Beth Ritter and the Gowanus Dredgers, Bob Wright
_______________________________________________________

Founder’s Award   
Presented to one of the original founders of the New York State Marine Education Association who has made a life-long commitment to advancing informal marine science education.

Past winners: Rick Raymond, Al Siegel, Dr. Karen A. Hensel, Robert Abrams, Lou Siegel, Mickey Maxwell Cohen, Anthony Dilernia, Joel Teret, Joe Varon, and Alan Ascher ________________________________________________________

Gene Ritter Aquatic Education Award 
Gene was an award winning diver. His work required him to use both hard-hat, and SCUBA equipment. He loved exploring the waters of New York Harbor and surrounding areas to assess the present and discover the past.  He loved archeology and teaching about his discoveries. Gene was a NYSMEA board member and the founder of the “Its My Estuary” event in Coney Island. 

Presented to a member or non-member who has furthered marine education utilizing diving. 

Past winner: Bernie Chowdhury, Lenny Speregen, Captain Denis Habza 
_________________________________________________________

Gene Kinghan Service Award
Gene was the first president of NYSMEA and the innovative chairperson of science at Shelter Island High School.


Presented to a member with at least three years of outstanding participation in the Association and who has contributed to the needs of the organization.

Past winners: Larissa Graham, David Stolarz, Gene Kinghan, Al Siegel, Lou Siegel, Walter Smith, Robert Jaeger, Karen Hensel, Alan Ascher, Merryl Kafka, Maryanne Cicchillo, Marilyn Hoffman, Elaine Dolgins Weiss, Addie Quinn, Eilene Evans, Joseph M. Varon, Eleanor Fries, Barbara Cohen, Mickey Cohen, Lorna D. Monterose, Nancy Maia, John Evans, Margaret Wilson, Michael Sandlofer, Susan Chiesa, Joel Teret, Doreen Bader, Dennis Bader, John Loret, Ben Kwaitkowski, George Linzee, Anthony DiLernia, Leticia Paler, Linda Kallinrude, Bunny Nadelman, Martin Kutikoff, Eileen Kutikoff, Kimberly Zimmer, Hugo Freudenthal, James Browne, Thomas F. Greene, Sarah Richards, Lisa Breslof, Gail David, Blanca Ching, Eileen Dugan, Karla Ferraro, Pamela Lynch, Ed Wilensky, Anne Bicker, Keira Lam, Meghan Marrero, Robert Cummings, Bernie Wides, and Richard McIntyre,  Doreen Williamson, Kevin Williamson, Maggie Flanagan, Dr. John Tanacredi, Gene Ritter, Beth Ritter, Ted Enoch, Lane Rosen, Dale Stanley, Louis Kleinman, Mike Danza, Adam Riback, Leann Winn, Chris Drew
_________________________________________________________

Meritorious Service Award  
Presented to members who have gone "above-and-beyond" during this year. 

Past winners: Merryl Kafka, Ed Wilensky, Blanca Ching, Gene Ritter, Beth J.P. Ritter _________________________________________________________

SCONYC Jerry Resnick Memorial Presidential Award (This award has been retired.)
Presented by individual member associations of the Science Council of New York City to an individual or organization that has contributed to the goals of the association as exemplified by SCONYC’s second president, Jerry Resnick.

Past winners: Nordica Holochuck, Robert Jaeger, Robert Abrams, John Loret, Lou Siegel, Richard McDermott, Al Siegel, Joseph Varon, Maxwell Cohen, Ellie Fries, Merryl Kafka, Joel Teret, Eilene Evans, Dennis Bader, Doreen Bader, Hugo Freudenthal, Anita Freudenthal, Matthew Lerman, Anthony Dilernia, Bruce Carlsten, Sandy Shumway, Anne Bicker, Eileen Kutikoff, Martin Kutikoff, Sarah Richards, Lisa Mielke, Lisa Breslof, Larissa Graham, Gene Ritter, Eileen Dugan  
________________________________________________________

Matthew Fontaine Maury Award  (This award has been retired.) 
Presented to a member or non-member who has made a major contribution to any field related to marine endeavors, either in the sciences, education, and research, and social or artistic ventures.

Past winners: Murray Fisher, Captain Frank DeSantis, Captain Tom Paladino, Dr. Artie Kopelman, Ross Nigrelli, Frank Braynard, Steve Schneider, Anita Freudenthal, James Goetz, Jerry Schubel, Barbara Dexter, Steven Engelbright, Robert D. Abrams, Ellie Fries, Lou Siegel, John Loret, Don Riepe, Alan Ascher, Sidney Horenstein, Al Siegel, Joe Yaiullo, Barbara Cohen, Tom Lake, Michael Farina, Betty Borowsky, Artie Raslich, Paul Sieswerda, Councilman Treyger, Lane Rosen, Rob Weltner and SPLASH, Tanasia Swift

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