D. Wynne Thorne Career Research Award
Named after USU’s first Vice President for Research, the D. Wynne Thorne Career Research Award is given to an individual on the USU campus who has completed outstanding research in his or her career.
The award is given annually to one outstanding university senior researcher who is recommended by a committee of peers, many of them previous award recipients. Nominees are evaluated for the significance, impact, and quality of their research, scholarly, or creative achievement and recognition by national and international experts. Thorne Research Awardees have produced a significant portion of their work while at Utah State University.
Charles Hawkins, recipient of the 2019 D. Wynne Thorne Career Research Award
Dr. Hawkins has excelled as a Professor in the Department of Watershed Sciences for over 35 years. He received both his bachelors and masters in Biology from California State University – Sacramento. He then went on to complete his Ph.D. at Oregon State, studying Entomology. He came to Utah State in 1983, where he has taught in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife as well as the Department of Watershed Sciences. He also served as the interim department head from 2012 to 2014, and as the Director of Watershed Science Unit from 1990 to 1995.
Hawkins’ accomplishments have been instrumental in the forwarding of research in the field of Watershed Sciences. His research deals with understanding the factors that influence the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems and is instrumental in the understanding of ecological health.
Hawkins is a prolific researcher, with over 100 articles published. The influence of these papers had spread beyond publication, with more than 30 of his papers cited over 100 times, and more than 11,000 citations on Google Scholar alone.