Fisheries professors Eric Hallerman and Brian Murphy were among the honorees named to the inaugural class of Fellows by the American Fisheries Society, the world’s oldest and largest organization promoting the scientific management of North American aquatic resources.

“The recognition of Dr. Hallerman’s and Dr. Murphy’s long-term commitment to the society and to undergraduate and graduate student involvement in it is reflected in their recognition as Fellows and as past recipients of the society’s Excellence in Fisheries Education Award,” said Joel Snodgrass, head of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation. “Our students truly benefit from the leadership that both Hallerman and Murphy bring to the department and the discipline.”

Hallerman is a nationally recognized expert on fisheries and aquaculture genetics and has testified on Capitol Hill on the environmental safety and regulatory oversight of genetically modified salmon. He served as department head from 2006 to 2013, directed Virginia Tech’s Horseshoe Crab Research Center, and is an affiliate of Virginia Tech’s Fralin Life Science Institute.

Murphy, a Diggs Teaching Scholar and the recipient of several teaching awards, served as department head from 1994 to 1999. He is associate director of the Conservation Management Institute after having served as its founding director from 1999 to 2012. He is currently the Senior Faculty Fellow for Teaching and Learning for the college and an adjunct professor with the Chinese Academy of Science, Institute of Hydrology.

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