The AOU is pleased to present the Marion Jenkinson service award to an individual who, for the past 11 years, has been responsible for two vital mechanisms of communication in the ornithological community—the Ornithological Newsletter and Ornjobs.
As editor of these two publications, Cheryl L. Trine has ensured that we know where the jobs are, when and where the meetings are, what books have been published recently, what is going on in Washington, D.C., that could affect birds and their habitats, and who has recently died, changed their address, or gotten a job. Since February 1998, when Trine became its editor, the Ornithological Newsletter has been published bimonthly, both in printed form and in an online version. She has overseen several changes, including a change in printers, the migration of the online version in April 2005 from Cornell University to the Ornithological Societies of North America (OSNA) website, the introduction of the PDF version in February 2007, and the conversion to the PDF electronic version as the primary distribution form in February 2008.
In addition to editing the printed and online Ornithological Newsletter, Trine has received and posted 40–140 job openings each month. In December 1999, the popular Birdjobs-L e-list was introduced to complement the web-based job list. Many researchers—faculty members, graduate students, and agency staff—rely on Ornjobs to recruit seasonal field assistants, and many have responded to the postings on Ornjobs and gained field experience working on exciting research projects. It is no exaggeration to say that ornithological field studies depend on Trine to link researchers and field assistants through Ornjobs.
As Editor of the Ornithological Newsletter, Trine is a member of the OSNA Committee, and she records the minutes of OSNA committee meetings. Because OSNA meetings are held at the AOU meeting each year, she attends AOU meetings regularly as well.
Trine's service as Editor of the Ornithological Newsletter truly embodies the spirit of volunteer service that the Jenkinson award recognizes. After finishing her Ph.D. at the University of Illinois in 1996, Trine moved with her family to Berrien Springs, Michigan, where she has lived for the past 11 years. She has not held a regular academic appointment but has remained active professionally, in part through her service to OSNA and the AOU. In 1998 and 1999, she was an adjunct faculty member teaching biology courses, including Ornithology, at Andrews University in Berrien Springs. From 2000 to the present, she has been an adjunct faculty member at Lake Michigan College, Benton Harbor. During this time, she has also served as a thesis committee member at Andrews University.
The AOU is pleased to present the 2008 Marion Jenkinson Service Award to Cheryl L. Trine for her dedication and contributions to the AOU and to all North American ornithologists as Editor of the Ornithological Newsletter.
Award criteria.—The Marion Jenkinson AOU Service Award was created by the Council in 1996 to honor Marion Jenkinson Mengel, who served the AOU as Treasurer and in other capacities for many years. It is awarded to an individual who has performed continued extensive service to the AOU, including holding elected offices but emphasizing volunteered contributions and committee participation. Recipients are selected by the AOU Executive Committee. The award consists of a framed certificate.
