The College of Science is proud to congratulate Dr. Jaime Baxter-Slye for receiving the 2024 UNT President's Community Award. This award honors students, faculty or staff members for outstanding service that has enriched the UNT experience for the UNT community. This outstanding service is characterized by consistent and meaningful involvement in the campus community with servant-leadership.
"Thank you very much for this recognition that would not be possible without our talented and dedicated students and support from COS, Department of Biological Sciences, the Advanced Environmental Research Institute, the We Mean Green Fund, and our partners from across Texas and beyond," she said. "Most of the work has been student-led, with me as the facilitator and advisor. Our undergraduates have insightful, meaningful, and innovative ideas that produce impactful results for the UNT community that has led to important policy updates, environmental changes, and educational experiences that enhance native Texas flora and fauna conservation in our local area. I feel extremely grateful to be able to work with our undergraduates on conservation projects that have real-world applications that result in increased biodiversity on our campus and in the DFW area. Saving as much Texas native wildlife while helping facilitate the careers of our stellar undergraduate students is a wonderful mission that I am appreciative to be part of."
Over the years, Dr. Baxter-Slye has engaged students in many environmental conservation and sustainability efforts. She has led student involvement with iNaturalist, worked with the Division of Student Affairs to establish UNT as a Bee Campus USA and have a Bird Campus Committee. Since 2016, Dr. Baxter-Slye has led efforts to procure funding and facilitate the further development of the Diamond Eagles Community Learning Area & Pecan Creek Pollinative Prairie, a 15.3 prairie reconstruction and retention pond nature area that provides pollinator and bird habitat located at Discovery Park. She serves as advisor to the award-winning UNT student chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration, a network of more than 300 students who promote a diverse, passionate, and well-informed group of restoration practitioners. Dr. Baxter-Slye serves as the 'Student Liaison' for the Texas Society of Ecological Restoration Board, helping to connect restoration work across the state.
For her commitment to the continued growth and development of these many student-centric initiatives, Dr. Baxter-Slye recently won Audubon's Mentor of the Year Raven Award from the National Audubon Society for her work developing the 'UNT Audubon on Campus' program, the first Audubon on Campus chapter in Texas.
Dr. Baxter-Slye was honored at UNT's Salute to Faculty Excellence event that took place on April 26, 2024. This event is hosted each spring by Faculty Success and the UNT Foundation. For more information about the Faculty Excellence Awards and the 2024 winners, please visit https://vpaa.unt.edu/fs/recognition/SFE-winners-24