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Regular Session, 2011 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 2
BY SENATOR LONG AND REPRESENTATIVE NOWLIN
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To commend Dr.Virginia Burkett on being honored for her efforts in science by the National
Wildlife Federation's Conservation Achievement Awards at its seventy-fifth
Anniversary Gala.
WHEREAS, Dr. Virginia Burkett, a nationally and internationally recognized leader
in research on the impact of climate change on our natural ecosystems, will be honored in
Washington, D.C. on April 13, 2011; and
WHEREAS, she is the daughter of Norma Rose of Many, Louisiana, and the late
Robert Rose; and
WHEREAS, she attended primary and secondary schools in Biloxi, Mississippi and
after graduation, she attended the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, 1968-
1969, and then transferred to Northwestern State University, where she received a Bachelor
of Science in 1973, with a major in zoology and a minor in chemistry; and
WHEREAS, she taught biology, physics, chemistry and general science at Hickory
Ridge High School in Natchitoches, Louisiana, for a year while continuing her education at
Northwestern State University, where she was awarded a Master of Science in Botany in
1975; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Burkett earned a Ph.D. in Forestry with a minor in Applied Statistics
from the School of Forestry at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas,
in 1996; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Burkett is the coordinator of Global Change Science at the United
States Geological Survey; and
WHEREAS, she had formerly served as Chief of Forest Ecology Branch at the
National Wetlands Research Center and subsequently as Associate Regional Chief Biologist SCR NO. 2 ENROLLED
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for the United State Geological Survey Central Region; and
WHEREAS, prior to becoming a Department of Interior employee in 1991, Dr.
Burkett was Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Burkett has also served as Director of the Louisiana Coastal Zone
Management Program, Deputy Secretary for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries, and Assistant Director of the Louisiana Geological Survey; and
WHEREAS, she has published extensively on the topics of global change and low-
lying coastal zones; and
WHEREAS, nominated by the United States government, she was a lead author on
the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Third Assessment Report
and its impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Burkett is now a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change's Fourth Assessment Report; and
WHEREAS, she coordinated both the Coastal and Southeast synthesis chapters on
the United States National Assessment of climate change and its impacts in 2001, and was
a member of the United States National Assessment Synthesis Team; and
WHEREAS, she was a member of the National Research Council's Panel on River
Basin and Coastal Systems Planning and several other expert panels and most recently, she
served on a climate change impacts panel commissioned by the United Nations Framework
Convention on Biological Diversity; and
WHEREAS, she has been appointed to more than forty commissions, committees,
expert panels, and boards during her career; and
WHEREAS, said to be one of her proudest career moments, she was named Nobel
Laureate for her contributions on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which
won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, along with former Vice President Al Gore; and
WHEREAS, for all the honors and recognition she has garnered, around Many,
Louisiana, she is still known as "Caleb's mom", where on Friday nights, she is crowded into
the stadium with other fans to cheer for the Many Tigers and her son, who is a team member;
and
WHEREAS, she also relishes time with her oldest son, Stephen Van Sickle and his SCR NO. 2 ENROLLED
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wife, Mary Beth, and their two children; and
WHEREAS, the Burketts are members of the Many First Baptist Church, where she
teaches Sunday School and she was instrumental in founding the Taylor House, Sabine's
shelter for victims of domestic violence; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation is a grassroots organization that
represents the conservation voice of four million members and supporters, affiliated with
wildlife organizations through the United States; and
WHEREAS, starting with a mission to protect the wildlife for future generations
quickly evolved into three strategic goals for the National Wildlife Federation including
confronting climate change, protecting and restoring wildlife, and connecting people with
nature; and
WHEREAS, 2011 marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the National Wildlife
Federation and its establishment as one of America's premier conservation organizations;
and
WHEREAS, in 1936, cartoonist J.N. "Ding" Darling heeded the call of the wild,
convening in Washington, D.C., the nation's largest first-ever meeting of conservationists
to discuss the plight of vanishing wildlife resources and from this historic event, the National
Wildlife Federation was created; and
WHEREAS, the seventy-fifth anniversary gala will include a seated dinner featuring
Master of Ceremonies actor Gloria Reuben, along with National Wildlife Federal Naturalist
Dave Mizejewski, and some of his animal friends; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Virginia Burkett is admired for her numerous published works on
the topics of global change and low-lying coastal zones and now she will be honored by the
National Wildlife Federation with the Science Award, which honors those whose
discoveries, expertise, and leadership in scientific disciplines have or will advance the cause
of natural resources conservation.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend Dr. Virginia Burkett on being honored for her efforts in science by the National
Wildlife Federation's Conservation Achievement Awards at its seventy-fifth Anniversary
Gala. SCR NO. 2 ENROLLED
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Dr.
Virginia Burkett.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES