The IsoEcol community is proud to announce the Keith Alan Hobson Award for Best Student Paper, a new award honouring the life and work of Dr. Keith A. Hobson. The award carries a prize of US$1,000 and will be launched and presented at each IsoEcol meeting going forward. 

Keith was a leader in isotope ecology, a co-founder of the IsoEcol conferences in 1998, a pioneering ornithologist, and a generous mentor to students and colleagues around the world. His research spanned trophic ecology, diet reconstruction, and animal movement, and he was instrumental in coupling tissue H-isotope measurements with precipitation isoscapes to infer the geographic origins and migratory connectivity of birds and other animals. He consistently framed this work in terms of its conservation applications. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the American Ornithologists’ Union, and the International Ornithologists’ Union, among many other honours. Keith passed away from cancer in October 2024, and his absence is deeply felt across our community.

The award honours Keith’s commitment to scientific excellence and discovery in isotope ecology. It will recognize a student whose paper shows the qualities he valued most: methodological rigour, originality, and a willingness to pursue questions that open new directions in the field. Keith believed deeply in students, and it is fitting that his name will now stand beside theirs.

The award is made possible through the generosity of Keith’s estate and his wife, Xiomara Blanca Mora Alvarez. Xiomara was not only his partner in life but also a scientific collaborator and steadfast supporter throughout Keith’s career.

Eligible papers (oral or poster) must present original research conducted by the student, and the work need not yet be published. The recipient will be selected through peer evaluation by established, credentialed researchers attending the conference.