SIMON LEVIN Receives Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement

Simon Levin

Simon Levin (Photo by Brian Wilson)

Simon Levin, the George M. Moffett Professor of Biology, was awarded the 2014 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement for bridging ecological research and environmental policy, economics and social science.

Levin received an award of $200,000 with the prize, which was established in 1973 and is awarded by the international Tyler Prize Executive Committee with the administrative support of the University of Southern California. Levin received the prize at a ceremony on April 25, 2014, in Los Angeles.

Levin, whose research has revealed the multifaceted relationships between species and ecosystems, has played a foundational role in shaping environmental policy and advancing the study of complex ecosystems, according to the Tyler Prize Executive Committee.

“What is so impressive about Simon Levin and his work is that he is a connector,” said Owen Lind, chair of the committee and a biology professor at Baylor University. “His work has bridged the theoretical with the work of ecologists in the field, and connected complex ecological systems to social science and environmental and public policy. It is rare to see one expert have such a dramatic impact on so many fields.”

–By Holly Welles