Suffolk Reporter

Heather Lynch, a professor at the College of Arts and Sciences in the Department of Ecology and Evolution, has been honored with the 2024 Golden Goose Award. This award recognizes unconventional research that results in unexpected yet impactful discoveries. Lynch is also the first Endowed Chair for Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University's Institute for Advanced Computation Science (IACS).

Lynch's project, titled “From Poop to Protection: Satellite Discoveries Help Save Antarctic Penguins and Advance Wildlife Monitoring,” was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation and NASA. The research involved tracking penguin populations using satellite imagery, which led to the discovery of 1.5 million previously undocumented Adélie penguins.

The Golden Goose Award highlights federally funded research that initially appears obscure but leads to significant scientific breakthroughs. The awards are organized annually by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Carl Lejuez, Provost and Executive Vice President, remarked on this achievement: “This is a tremendous honor for Professor Lynch. The Golden Goose recognizes that scientific discovery may not always follow a conventional path."

Lynch expressed her gratitude by stating, “I’m hugely honored to have our work recognized in this way.” She emphasized her continued enthusiasm about satellite imagery's potential for research and conservation.

Her work focuses on monitoring Antarctic wildlife distribution through remote sensing techniques. Collaborating with Antarctic policymakers, she ensures they use accurate science when considering protection measures. Her findings with Mathew Schwaller contributed to establishing a new Antarctic Specially Protected Area.

Lynch holds advanced degrees from Harvard University in organismic and evolutionary biology as well as physics, along with an undergraduate degree in physics from Princeton University.