Texas Tech University

Professor Receives Global Recognition, Acclaim for Environmental Toxicology Research

Tammy Henricks

January 7, 2022

Ronald Kendall

Ronald Kendall will be honored with the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry’s 2021 Founders Award in May.

Ronald Kendall, a professor of environmental toxicology at Texas Tech University, has been selected to receive the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry's (SETAC) 2021 Founders Award for his contributions to environmental research. Kendall will be presented with the award by the SETAC World Council and the SETAC Global Awards Committee in Copenhagen, Denmark, in May.

"I am very appreciative to be recognized by the SETAC global organization with this high honor,” Kendall said. “SETAC is making significant environmental science advancements worldwide and I am very grateful to have contributed to this advancement."

The highest honor SETAC can bestow, the Founders Award is granted once yearly to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to scientific development. Kendall has spent much of his scientific career studying the ecological impacts of environmental contaminants on wildlife and promoting a more ecological approach to environmental risk assessment.

"Dr. Kendall richly deserves this recognition,” said Michael Honeycutt, director of the Toxicology, Risk Assessment and Research Division for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. “His cutting-edge research has led to innumerable advances in the field of ecotoxicology.”

Kendall is the founding director of Texas Tech's Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH) as well as the founding chairman of the Department of Environmental Toxicology, in which TIEHH is housed. Kendall is a charter member of SETAC and served as president of the organization from 1992-1993. He has served as either editor or associate editor of SETAC's scientific journal, “Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry” (ET&C), for more than three decades.

“I have known Dr. Kendall for nearly 30 years,” said Elaine Dorward-King, retired executive vice president of sustainability and external relations for Newmont Mining Corporation. “During that time, he has made numerous important contributions to environmental science and in particular wildlife toxicology. Dr. Kendall is one of those rare individuals who is able to communicate complex scientific concepts in an understandable and useful manner, helping to improve public understanding and appreciation for how science helps solve real-world problems.”

About the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) is an international nonprofit organization with more than 5,000 members in 90 countries dedicated to the advancement of environmental research and education. Click here to learn more about SETAC's mission, vision, principles and values.