Jefferson Awards
25th Annual Thomas Jefferson Awards:
The 25th Annual VMNH Foundation Thomas Jefferson Awards will be held in Richmond on Thursday, February 9, 2012. The Thomas Jefferson Awards honor Virginia businesses, groups and individuals for their contributions to and support for natural science.
Virginia Natural History Day on February 9
In celebration of the Thomas Jefferson Awards, February 9, 2012 is Virginia Natural History Day. The museum will have an exhibit on display at the General Assembly Building February 6-10 providing information about the museum and its statewide and global research and education programs. Along with the events in Richmond, the museum will also offer FREE admission on February 9 in honor of Virginia Natural History Day. Visitors will able to enjoy the museum's award-winning exhibits free of charge. In addition, the museum’s educators will present fun, interactive educational programs on fossils to all 2nd grade students at Chimborazo Elementary School in Richmond. This program is correlated with the latest Virginia Standards of Learning.
Below are the award categories to be presented at the 25th Annual VMNH Foundation Thomas Jefferson Awards. The awardees will be announced in the coming weeks:
- Thomas Jefferson Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Natural Science. This award is presented to an individual who has consistently made outstanding contributions to natural history.
- Thomas Jefferson Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Natural Science Education. This award is presented to a Virginia educator who has made significant contributions to natural history or natural science education at any academic level.
- William Barton Rogers Corporate Award. This award is given to a corporation that has shown significant support for the natural sciences in Virginia, through contributions to: Research, science education, or other relevant programs of the Virginia Museum of Natural History.
- Thomas Jefferson Award for Conservation. This award is presented by the VMNH Foundation to an individual or organization in recognition of significant conservation efforts in Virginia.
Please check back for additional details. To learn how you or your company can become a sponsor of this prestigious statewide event, please contact Cian Robinson at 276-634-4164 or cian.robinson@vmnh.virginia.gov.
Below is information about the 2011 Thomas Jefferson Awards:
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| Dr. Douglas Owsley served as Keynote Speaker at the 24th Annual VMNH Thomas Jefferson Awards on Friday, April 8, 2011 at the Virginia Museum of Natural History. |
The 24th Annual VMNH Foundation Thomas Jefferson Awards were held on Friday, April 8, 2011 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Virginia Museum of Natural History. The Thomas Jefferson Awards honor Virginia businesses, groups and individuals for their contributions to and support for natural science.
The keynote speaker for this year's event was Dr. Douglas Owsley, division head for Physical Anthropology at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Dr. Owsley is a world-renowned forensic anthropologist who recently served as curator of the exhibit "Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake," at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Owsley’s talk was titled “The case of the black widow, and other tales written in bone.” Please click here to learn more about Dr. Owsley.
Visitors enjoyed networking from 5:30 to 6 p.m., with the awards ceremony and dinner taking place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Visitors then had the opportunity to visit with Keynote Speaker Dr. Doug Owsley and museum scientists from 7:30 to 8 p.m. The VMNH curators had information stations set up for attendees with selected scientific specimens highlighted.
Awards
Below are the 2011 awardees:
- Dr. Douglas Owsley, division head for Physical Anthropology at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, received the 2011 Thomas Jefferson Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Natural Science. This award is presented to an individual who has consistently made outstanding contributions to natural history.
- Eric Martin Rhoades, director of the Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement at George Mason University, received the 2011 Thomas Jefferson Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Natural Science Education. This award is presented to a Virginia educator who has made significant contributions to natural history or natural science education at any academic level.
- Dominion received the 2011 William Barton Rogers Corporate Award. This award is given to a corporation that has shown significant support for the natural sciences in Virginia, through contributions to: Research, science education, or other relevant programs of the Virginia Museum of Natural History.
- Dr. Stephen W. Lenhart, associate professor of geology and executive director of the Museum of the Earth Sciences at Radford University, received the 2011 William Barton Rogers Individual Award. This award is given to an individual who has shown significant support for the natural sciences in Virginia, through contributions to: Research, science education, or other relevant programs of the Virginia Museum of Natural History.
- Virginia Lottery received the 2011 Matthew Fontaine Maury Distinguished Service Award. This award is presented to an individual or corporation that has provided exemplary service in the development of VMNH.
- Long-time museum volunteer Eugene Baird received the 2011 Noel T. Boaz Director’s Award. This award is presented to an individual or organization selected by the VMNH Executive director who has made significant contributions, through volunteer efforts or financial support, to enable the museum to be a more successful institution and to secure its future as a great museum benefiting all citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
VMNH Cub Coalition
While dining at the Jefferson Awards, parents had the option of enrolling their children ages 5 to 12 in The Cub Coalition, a fun and educational alternative to baby-sitting. The Coalition cubs began with pizza dinner followed by an evening of engaging and creative activities led by trained VMNH education staff!
$15 per child (pizza dinner and healthy snacks provided)
Minimum of six cubs required (we reserve the right to cancel with notice.)
Sponsors
The 24th Annual VMNH Foundation Thomas Jefferson Awards were sponsored by:
Missy Neff Gould
Dr. Richard Hoffman
Drs. Tom and Denise Unterbrink
Sammy Redd & Associates Real Estate Management
