Established in 2010, the Meritorious Teaching Award in Herpetology (MTAH) is awarded annually in recognition of “demonstrated effective and innovative teaching in the classroom and/or other education settings, and superior mentoring of students in herpetology, as evidenced by student testimonials, student publications, and placement of students in professional positions in herpetological fields.” This recognition is – rightfully so – a tri-society award, given jointly by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, the Herpetologists’ League, and the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. The award is a powerful way to celebrate accomplishments made to herpetology outside of traditional metrics of “research achievement.” The Award Committee Award (Alison Davis Rabosky, Chair, assisted by Drs. Brian Todd and Jennifer Moore) had the difficult job of selecting a winner from a very deserving pool.
The recipient for 2024 is Dr. Robert E. Espinoza, a keystone member of the herpetological community whose...