The College of Science congratulates UNT Biological Sciences Professor and Director of the UNT Advanced Environmental Instutute Dr. Aaron Roberts on receiving the 2021 Decker Scholar Award from the Office of the Provost. Elmer Decker, recipient of an honorary doctorate of science from UNT, established the Decker Scholar Award to recognize outstanding research in the natural sciences, computational sciences, or technology at the University of North Texas.

"I'm flattered to have been chosen and grateful for the award," said Dr. Roberts. "I owe a big thanks to the UNT students and postdocs I've had the opportunity to work with over the years for their dedication to the lab and our research."

Dr. Roberts is an environmental scientist, Director of the UNT Advanced Environmental Research Institute (AERI), and a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. He is considered an expert on the fate and effects of chemical contaminants in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Dr. Roberts earned his bachelor's degree in biology at the University of Missouri and his master's and PhD in zoology at Miami-Ohio University.

He completed his postdoctoral training in environmental toxicology at Clemson University. Dr. Roberts joined UNT as an assistant professor in 2006 and has been Director of AERI since 2019. His group is funded by federal and state agencies as well as the private sector. Many of the projects carried out in his lab have implications for environmental regulation and litigation. This ranges from work in the US and abroad on oil spills and coastal contamination to research on chemicals in fish and shellfish that pose a threat to both ecological and human health. Dr. Roberts credits a fantastic crew of UNT students and postdocs over the years as well as great collaborators for the lab's successes.

Four faculty members in the College of Science received Faculty Excellence Awards this year. "[These awards] speak clearly of our excellence in faculty research and mentoring," said Dean Su Gao. "Each of the awards is well deserved and the result of years of diligent and outstanding work by the faculty members. I offer my heartfelt congratulations to all COS faculty award recipients, and thank all faculty for their unwavering pursuit of excellence in their research and scholarship."

For more information on this year's Salute to Faculty Excellence Award Winners, please visit: https://vpaa.unt.edu/fs/recognition/SFE-award-winners21