Dr. Nicole Smolensky Named 2024 Steven W. Carothers Scientific Merit Award Recipient

Congratulations to Dr. Nicole Smolensky, Senior Natural Resources Team Lead, out of our Austin office, on being named the 2024 Steven W. Carothers Scientific Merit Award recipient.

Since joining SWCA in 2015, Nicole has embodied SWCA core values through her dedication to scientific excellence, academic achievement, and building partnerships. Her expertise in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology has led to significant contributions across nearly all service lines and ten states, cementing numerous trusted partnerships.

Nicole’s influence extends to her technical and peer-reviewed publications, with contributions to more than twenty-three scientific meetings. Notable publications include Distance Sampling Underestimates Population Densities of Dune-Dwelling Lizards in the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Journal of Herpetology, and a study on Population Variation in Dune-Dwelling Lizards in Response to Patch Size, Patch Quality, and Oil and Gas Development published by the Southwestern Association of Naturalists, addressing impacts of patch size, quality, and oil and gas development.

Through her comprehensive work and leadership, Nicole exemplifies the Never Settle principle, continually advancing SWCA’s commitment to sound science and creative solutions.

The annual Steven W. Carothers Scientific Merit Award honors a scientist who follows in the footsteps of our founder by applying sound science and creative solutions to maintain our professional credibility, develop our business strategy, and successfully evaluate and pursue new lines of business. The 2024 Carothers Award recipient was selected from the list of 2024 Lawrence S. Semo Scientific Achievement award winners.