NEWS

Gino D’Angelo

Robert C. Anderson Memorial Award 2008

Gino D’Angelo, a doctoral graduate in wildlife ecology, spearheaded a high-profile research project, funded by the Georgia Department of Transportation, to evaluate strategies for reducing deer-vehicle collisions. To establish a basic knowledge of deer’s sensory responses, D’Angelo first conducted a series of unprecedented laboratory studies of the animals’ hearing and vision capabilities. He then completed a field evaluation of roadside deer-warning reflectors, at Berry College in Northwest Georgia, that were based on these capabilities. The project, which required creative experimental design innovations, yielded a large amount of statistically valid data. As a result of this work, D’Angelo was invited to present his findings at several major national and international scientific conferences. The project’s overwhelming success prompted the Georgia DOT to award an additional $300K for follow-up research based on D’Angelo’s proposal.