Research Communications Award 2024

Michael J. Chamberlain, Terrell Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management in the Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources, is perhaps best known as the “Wild Turkey Doc.” He has developed a world-renowned research program focusing on this popular game bird while disseminating his findings to diverse audiences, including academics, policymakers, and laypersons. Managing wild turkey populations under intensifying pressure from land-use changes and natural predators requires clear communications with conservationists and more than 2.5 million hunters nationwide. Chamberlain’s website, wildturkeylab.com, launched in 2022, provides engaging, informative content to those interested in wild turkeys and the landscapes they inhabit. He has conducted dozens of seminars, webinars, videos, and media events, and appears frequently on the popular MeatEater podcast, which averages more than 4 million downloads monthly. Top-level administrators of numerous state agencies have invited him to speak on his expertise, resulting in improved harvest regulations to ensure more sustainable populations.