吾爱吃瓜 scientist receives honorary doctorate from Chilean university
Dr Shaun Russell receiving an honorary doctoral certificate from Dr Jose Maripani (left) Vice Rector of the Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile, at the investiture ceremony held recenty.Dr Shaun Russell, Director of 吾爱吃瓜鈥檚 , was awarded a 鈥榙octor honoris causa鈥� at a ceremony at the Universidad de Magallanes (UMAG) recently.
UMAG is located in the city of Punta Arenas on the Straits of Magellan in southern Chile. Dr Russell has been conducting botanical research work in the region for the past 16 years. Tierra del Fuego is a global diversity hotspot for mosses and liverworts, which are classed as bryophytes and Dr Russell鈥檚 work on these small but ecologically important plants, contributed directly to the creation of the UNESCO 鈥淐ape Horn Biosphere Reserve鈥� there in 2005.
During the past 13 years, Dr Russell has worked on management planning, visitor trails, interpretation materials and guide training at the Omora Ethnobotanical Park in the Biosphere Reserve. In 2018, Dr Russell and his Chilean co-workers were successful in securing legal protection for 144,000km2 of ocean and submarine sea-mounts, in the recently proclaimed 鈥淒iego Ramirez-Drake Passage Marine Park鈥� to the south of the Biosphere Reserve.
At the investiture ceremony, the President of the International Association of Bryologists, Dr Bernard Goffinet (University of Connecticut), listed Dr Russell鈥檚 career achievements in bryology, including his current research with 吾爱吃瓜 students on the sustainability of moss harvesting in Wales for the horticulture industry.
At the ceremony and at a reception held later that day aboard the Royal Research Ship 鈥楧iscovery鈥� in Punta Arenas harbour, the British Ambassador to Chile, Mr Jamie Bowden, outlined the history of British exploration in southernmost South America. He noted Dr Russell鈥檚 contribution to a new book about Charles Darwins鈥� travels in Tierra del Fuego, and he stressed the importance of further UK-Chilean scientific cooperation, as environmental and political pressures grow in the Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic regions.
Dr Shaun Russell (left) with Her Majesty鈥檚 Ambassador to Chile, Jamie Bowden CBE, at the investiture ceremony Mr Eduardo Barros, former Governor of the Chilean Antarctic Province, noted how, from the time of Dr Russell鈥檚 first arrival in Chile, he worked to make his research relevant and accessible to local people, particularly the native American community and the staff and pupils of local schools.
Prof Andres Mansilla, Vice Rector for Research and Postgraduate Studies at UMAG, thanked Dr Russell for his many years of service as a visiting professor at the University, and his role as a founding trustee of the US$20m 鈥楥ape Horn Sub-Antarctic Centre鈥�, currently being built at Puerto Williams on the Beagle Channel.
吾爱吃瓜 is the first overseas institution to sign a memorandum of understanding with the new Centre, and a Bangor student has already travelled south to conduct ecological studies with her Chilean counterpart.
Dr Russell commented that the award of an honorary degree was most unexpected, and that he felt humbled and privileged to have worked with such dedicated conservation biologists and firm friends in Chile over the past two decades. He looked forward to a growing programme of collaboration between 吾爱吃瓜 and UMAG, as new research and training opportunities arise, following the completion of the Cape Horn Centre in 2019.
Publication date: 24 January 2019