Distinguished Herpetologists Lecture Series

Each year, the President of the Herpetologists’ League designates a Distinguished Herpetologist to deliver a plenary lecture, with approval by the Board of Trustees. This recognition is bestowed on an individual based on his or her contributions to advancing scientific and public understanding of herpetology through research, teaching, and service. In addition to presenting a lecture during the plenary session of the following year’s HL meeting, the Distinguished Herpetologist is also encouraged to publish a manuscript as the lead article in Herpetologica.

Publication Guidelines

  • Such contributions shall be limited to 10 pages of printed text.
  • A footnote on the title page will indicate that the author was a recent Distinguished Herpetologist awardee.
  • Such contributions shall be treated as “points of view” manuscripts, that is, they will be reviewed by the editor and two referees familiar with the subject matter (and preferably with the Distinguished Herpetologist). Both the Distinguished Herpetologist and the referees will be advised by the editor that the contribution must adhere to HL’s usual standards of rigor with respect to clarity and organization, but that it is not necessary that the papers contain new or original data. Rather, such contributions, though potentially highly variable in content, might often be expected to emphasize synthetic, historical, or philosophical themes.
  • Distinguished Herpetologists will be invited to supplement their printed contributions by providing material to be posted on HL’s website. In addition to posting the text of the published contribution, this site may contain a biography and/or bibliography of the Distinguished Herpetologist, or even the Power Point presentation of their lecture.

–approved by HL Board of Trustees, 18 October 2006