Conservation Trailblazer Award

When Dr. Roel Lopez saw that DSC CEO Corey Mason was calling him in late October, he assumed he was behind on one of his many projects.

“I saw the caller ID and assumed I was behind on something I owed to Corey,” Lopez said with a chuckle.

Instead, Corey was calling to inform Dr. Lopez he had been chosen as this year’s Conservation Trailblazer Award. The Trailblazer Award celebrates the immense contribution of wildlife professionals to the field of game and non-game wildlife conservation, including wildlife and habitat management, applied research and policy.

“When he told me I was this year’s Trailblazer Award recipient, I was surprised, humbled and honored. This is certainly not an award just for myself, but all of the people I work with from the department advisory committees, faculty, program specialists and many others. We have a passion in this area.”

Dr. Lopez currently pulls double duty at Texas A&M University, serving as Director of Natural Resource Institute, as well as Department Head of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management Department. A few accomplishments include securing more than 200 research grants that total over $59 million, chaired/co-chaired 122 graduate students, published 153 peer-reviewed journal articles, 22 book chapters, one full book, and his professional recognitions and awards are too many to mention; this is a small snippet of his accomplishments.

“For decades, Dr. Lopez has been a nationally recognized leader in wildlife conservation,” Corey said. “His investment into student development goes far beyond the curriculum and impacts students over their entire career. Additionally, Roel has been a leader of many state and national level conservation organizations and has a unique ability to be able to bring people together.  He truly epitomizes a Conservation Trailblazer, and we could not be more thrilled to recognize his exemplary career.”

Dr. Lopez grew up hunting and fishing, which cultivated an early appreciation for the role hunting plays in conservation.  That appreciation and passion was honed as an active member of the Boy Scouts of America for more than 15 years, going on camping trips and gaining vital exposure to the outdoors. Taking that passion into teaching, Dr. Lopez is currently developing curriculum at Texas A&M University focusing on developing a hunter/conservation program within the department. The cornerstone course on principals and practices in hunting conservation is geared toward students who want to make a career in the outdoor industry.

“Dr. James Cathey teaches the course to promote the hunting/conservation ethic within our ranks,” he said. “Most of the students haven’t hunted before, but they get to go on a duck hunt, prepare the game, and see the important role hunters play. Some won’t become hunters themselves, but they understand the role hunters play in conservation.

Longtime friend, colleague, and DSC Board Member Greg Simons, said, “During a time when the professional natural resource field can be characterized as being extremely “green,” where conservation philosophies often clash with those that are more “hands-off,” Dr. Lopez is comfortable and capable at braiding both philosophical cultures into one, creating a reconciled playing field that results in necessary traction for progress during an era when polarity is sometimes an impediment. Once again, there are few professionals within the natural resource professional who can do this and do it well. Further, his research and programmatic focus tends to place the most emphasis on areas that are germane to “real world” challenges and needs, resulting in outcomes that can be channeled into practical applications that benefit landowners, ranchers, hunters, and other stakeholder – again, such value-focused efforts are often lacking these days in the academic space.”