Adam Beeco, Ph.D., program manager of policy, planning and compliance in the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division (NSNSD) of the National Park Service (NPS) was recently honored with the Dwight A. Holder Award by the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of his outstanding work as a conservation researcher and teacher in the environmental field.
The institute presents the annual awards program, which is named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service, to showcase leading figures in the field of conservation. Specific awards were named after visionary leaders that Hartzog respected and admired. Award recipients are following in Hartzog’s footsteps by making significant contributions to the management of parks and preservation of our natural, historical and cultural heritage.
The Dwight A. Holder Award recognizes academic professionals that exemplify Mr. Holder’s illustrious career as an entrepreneur and public servant, which included leading South Carolina’s parks to a new era of service. Dr. Beeco received this award for outstanding work and sustained achievement that fosters understanding, wise use and conservation of natural and cultural resources.
“As a social scientist for the National Park Service, Adam has applied his understanding of the human dimensions of natural resources to assessing the impacts of noise and light pollution on protected areas,” said Bob Powell, director of Clemson University’s Institute for Parks. “His research strives to protect two critical aspects of the park experience: its resources and visitors.”
Prior to his role with the NPS, Beeco worked as an outdoor recreation planner for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the Division of Hydropower Licensing in Washington, DC. At FERC, he worked on interdisciplinary teams throughout the licensing process to balance the benefits of hydropower generation with the impacts on environmental resources, including fisheries, wildlife, economics, land use and recreation.
Beeco received his Ph.D. in parks, recreation and tourism management from Clemson University where he also received an Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2019. He is currently an adjunct professor at the University and has taught both undergraduate and graduate classes on the human dimensions of natural resources. His research interests include spatial mapping and modeling, visitor tracking, impacts of noise and light pollution on protected areas and indictors and thresholds-based planning.
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The Clemson University Institute for Parks (CUIP) provides research, education, training, and outreach that enhances the management of the world’s parks and protected areas. It accomplishes this by providing park and protected area managers with innovative research to support science-based decision-making; and by developing current and future leaders in the park movement by providing interdisciplinary and transformative education and training programs. The Institute currently consists of 35 Fellows and 10 Scholars working on park-related research.
Visit the CUIP website for more information about the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Environmental Awards program and its recipients.
