2005 Herbert Stoddard, Sr. Award

DR. DAVID H. VAN LEAR

Dr. Van Lear's academic background includes B.S. and M.S. degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Idaho in 1969.

Early in his career Dr. Van Lear worked as a post-doc at the University of Florida and the USFS Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. In 1971 he joined the faculty at Clemson University where he taught and conducted research and outreach for the next 31 years.

During his career Dr. Van Lear received many grants, authored or co-authored over 200 papers, and assumed multiple leadership and service roles. He conducted over twenty years of research on the effects of fire on the southern landscape. His work with Pat Brose on utilizing fire to regenerate southern upland oaks was a significant contribution to the early understanding of the role of fire in restoring and maintaining southern hardwood ecosystems.

In addition to this award, Dr. Van Lear has received numerous other awards, including Clemson's prestigious Godley-Shell Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research.