Charlie Nilon, William J. Rucker Professor in the School of Natural Resources, received the Sustainability Science Award from the Ecological Society of America (ESA). The Sustainability Science Award recognizes the authors of the scholarly work that makes the greatest contribution to the emerging science of ecosystem and regional sustainability through the integration of ecological and social sciences.

The 2022 Sustainability Science Award is given to the authors, including Nilon, of “Biodiversity in the city: Key challenges for urban green space management.” This paper synthesizes the key challenges to sustaining biodiversity in urban systems and also incorporates ecological and sociological principles to overcome those challenges. The article has already had an impact on sustainability science, evidenced by its broad citation across diverse academic disciplines, including ecology, sustainability, and planning journals, as well as in city and regional planning documents and teaching curriculum.