WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2016 9 (CONTINUED ON PAGE 10) of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific. The November AwF WoM was Dr. Karen Veverica of Auburn University. Karen joined the fisheries department at Auburn in 1981 and in 2013 was named Director of Auburn’s E.W. Shell Fisheries Center, one of the largest aquaculture research stations in the world. At Auburn, she is responsible for managing and maintaining the fisheries research ponds and facilities. Karen has a long history of involvement and leadership on international development projects, including ten years in Rwanda, where she worked specifically on empowering women in aquaculture, and long-term stints in Kenya and Uganda. Since completing her work in Uganda and returning to Auburn, Karen has traveled to dozens of African nations for short-term projects, trainings and consulting work. We are still considering other ways to promote and recognize women’s contribution in this area and looking for opportunities to empower women and initiate new projects in the future. Grant Proposals In other AwF work, we have had some highs and lows. We have been struggling to get involved in competitive grants despite the enormous amount of time and effort that goes into that. Winning a grant always seems like winning the lottery and the many rejections can be depressing. Rejections are tough but you cannot let the negativity gain a stranglehold even though there are more rejections than there are successes. We have to keep a positive attitude as the work we are doing is so important. We get knocked down but we get up again and keep an optimistic outlook. In a recent rejection we were very hopeful about the Australian Government Blue Economy Challenge in that we had two excellent projects that were selected to go into the second round. The additional work was done in a timely fashion to the two project proposals and then we found out that both had not made the last twenty finalists. When we saw the finalists it was clear that our competition were organizations like the WorldFish Center and the Government of South Africa. You can appreciate how you can be easily out-muscled in what is clearly a David versus Goliath situation. We are still trying to keep those project proposals alive and are on the lookout for more funding options. Recent International Efforts AwF’s relationship with African Association of Agricultural Economists has been a catalyst in cementing the prospects of more work to be done in Africa. A MoU has been arranged with Grand Bassa County Association in the Americas, Inc. for Liberia. We have not done much in Africa for awhile but a number of projects are in the pipeline that will help us establish AwF communities in various countries to maximize the local engagement in our processes. Groups based in Tanzania, Ghana, Zambia and Uganda will add to our portfolio and we hope to create a blueprint for future project platforms. Our Latin America activities look certain to expand following recent visits to the states of Michoacán and Tamaulipas. We are very excited about the prospects in both states. Two other project proposals that were rejected by Australian Government funding sources have been reviewed in Mexico and there are excellent prospects that they will be approved in the next month or so, adding to our very promising plans. It was also fantastic to be part of the Sixth Birthday celebrations of our Tamaulipas partner, Universidad Tecnológica del Mar de Tamaulipas (UTMarT) and to see all the students’ innovative activities. It was also a great honor for us to be allowed to release turtles in La Pesca, a fascinating experience. AwF Woman of the Month Award Aims • To promote and foster pride in, and recognition of, outstanding achievements which advance our goals and values; • To develop an appreciation of the diversity and depth of personal and community achievement within women in aquaculture/seafood; • To promote and recognize individual aquaculture/seafood women for the time and dedication they have demonstrated for members of the community, and; • To provide positive role models for women in aquaculture/ seafood. Criteria Nominees must be: • Women engaged in aquaculture/seafood who have made a noteworthy contribution to the aquaculture/seafood local or global community; • Women who have provided a positive role model for women in aquaculture/seafood; • Women who have advanced the goals and values of Aquaculture without Frontiers, and; • Nominated on the official form and supported by two others. AwF Woman of the Month Award Winners Dr. Jennifer Cobcroft – December 2014 Dr. T.V. Anna Mercy – February 2015 May Myat Noe Lwin – March 2015 Dr. Flower Ezekiel Msuya – April 2015 Professor Arlyn Mandas – May 2015 Veronica Esquivel Medina – July 2015 Ruth Uribe Quintero – September 2015 Dr. Ann Fleming – October 2015 Belinda Miranda-Garrido – November 2015 Dr. Meryl Williams – January 2016 Dr. Veikila Vuki – February 2016 Professor Indah Susilowati – March 2016 Professor Stella Williams – April 2016 Dr. Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted – May 2016 Dr. Doris Soto – June 2016 Betty More – July 2016 Dr. Madhumita Mukherjee – August 2016 Dr. Hillary Egna – September 2016 Dr. Amonrat Sermwatanakul – October 2016 Dr. Karen Veverica – November 2016
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