image: Dede Olson with a toad in the Oregon Cascade Range, a population she has been monitoring and checking every spring since 1982. Her gloves help prevent within- and between-site transmission of disease-causing pathogens.
Credit: USDA Forest Service photo by Dede Olson
Dede Olson received the 2023 award for distinguished science from the U.S. Forest Service Deputy Chief for Research and Development (R&D). The annual award recognizes an agency scientist for their creative efforts and contributions as demonstrated through their scientific impacts, applications, and leadership and sustained productivity.
“Dr. Deanna ‘Dede’ Olson has demonstrated extraordinary productivity and leadership in forest ecology and amphibian conservation over her 30-year career,” said Deputy Chief for R&D David Lytle, in the official announcement of her award. He highlighted her contributions to conservation biology and to science delivery that have far-reaching implications for natural resource management and biodiversity in the Pacific Northwest and the world.
A research ecologist based at the Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Olson is a global leader in amphibian conservation biology and the go-to amphibian and reptile expert for the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Department of the Interior. Much of her research focuses on forest-dwelling amphibians. These are some of the most vulnerable species to climate change. Many are imperiled by current and emerging infectious diseases such as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), which Olson also studies.
Among her many accomplishments, Olson described a new species of salamander, developed standardized field surveys for detecting rare species, developed a global Web portal and mapping system for tracking emerging diseases, and helped to set the standard for riparian buffer protections in the western U.S. Over her career, she has authored nearly 200 publications, which have, collectively, been cited more than 4,200 times.
“When I learned that I received the Deputy Chief’s Award for Distinguished Science, a rush of emotions hit me,” Olson said. “First, I was shocked, as this was so unexpected. Then, I felt honored and grateful for all of the support the station has offered me since 1990 and, especially, for the support of my program managers, supervisors, teammates, and collaborators, whose efforts are interwoven with my projects.” She also thanked her husband, Mike McDowell, and family.
Olson will be formally recognized in a virtual ceremony on September 23, 2024.