Tom Rudel, at right, with a plaque honoring him with the 2014 Gerald L. Young Book Award from the Society of Human Ecology. With him is University of Oklahoma colleague Thomas Burns. Courtesy of Tom Rudel.
Tom Rudel, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Human Ecology, won the 2014 Gerald L. Young Book Award from the Society of Human Ecology for his scholarly work, Defensive Environmentalists and Dynamics of Global Reform, which was published in 2013 by Cambridge University Press.
At the time of its publication, Rudel said, “This book first began to take shape forty years ago when I was a young graduate student taking courses and attending talks on subjects, such as ecology, about which I knew next to nothing.” His interest was sparked after reading an article in Science by Eugene Odum (1969) that was ostensibly about changes in plant communities, but he regarded it to be a good explanation for historical patterns in some human communities.
The Society for Human Ecology distinguished scholarly book award is named in honor of Gerald L. Young, considered one of founders of the society and a recognized leader in scholarly publications in human ecology. The award is presented annually for the best single book in human ecology published in a calendar year.
Rudel will present a brown bag discussion titled, “Defensive Environmentalists and Dynamics of Global Reform – Further Thoughts,” on Nov. 5 at Blake Hall, Room 131, on the George H. Cook Campus.
