Stead scoops EAS award
The European Aquaculture Society’s (EAS) fourth ever Distinguished Service Award has been presented to Selina Stead, Professor of Marine Governance and Environmental Science at Newcastle University, for her long-term commitment and contributions to the objectives and activities of the Society.
The award, which was presented to Professor Stead at AE2016, has only been presented three times previously in the 40-year history of EAS. The first time was to Prof Guido Persoone, one of the founding fathers of EAS, its President from 1980 to 1982 and its Treasurer for 6 years; the second awardee was Prof Niels de Pauw, EAS secretary for 4 years; and the third was made recently to Yves Harache, who played a major role in the governance of EAS, with a total of 16 years on its Board of Directors and as its President from 2010 to 2012.
A well-earned prize
Professor Stead was the protege of Lindsay Laird, who served as Vice-Chairman of the Scottish Fisheries Executive Committee and on the EAS Board of Directors from 1994 to 2000, when she was obliged to retire for health reasons – and she ultimately passed away in 2001.
Before retiring Lindsay chose Selina, motivated and brilliant PhD student, to take on her role in EAS: not wanting to lose contact with the society and keen to make sure that the UK - and in particular Scotland - was represented in EAS core activities. She became an EAS National Representative from 1998 to 2000 and was subsequently elected to the Board in 2000.
Selina too had a passion for the objectives of EAS and was a Board member from 2000-2012. Within this period, she was EAS Secretary 2002-2004 and became EAS President in 2008. That passion remains and she has even gone beyond it, being part of or leading the Organising Committees of several Aquaculture Europe events and the Steering Committee chair of AE2016.
EAS therefore deemed it fitting to honour Selina, and also remember Lindsay, at the first EAS event in Scotland.
