Dear members of the Zoological Society,

At its board meeting on Saturday, June 13, the Zoological Society of Japan received candidate recommendations from the Society Award Selection Committee. Following rigorous deliberation, it was decided that the award would be presented to member Keiichiro Kyozuka of the Asamushi Marine Biological Education and Research Center at Tohoku University.

Number of applications: 3

Selection Committee for the 2015 Academic Awards and Other Honors
Koji Akasaka, Takahiro Asami, Hiroshi Iida, Taisen Iguchi, Koji Tamura, Kenji Tomioka, Toshiya Matsushima

Reasons for recommendation to the board of directors

Of the three nominees for this award, it was determined that one's achievements warrant recognition with a letter of appreciation from the Society. The other two met the criteria set forth in the selection regulations as "individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the dissemination of zoology to society," making the selection extremely difficult. For the following reasons, we have decided to recommend member Keiichiro Kyoduka to the Board of Directors as the candidate.

Keiichiro Kyoduka, Associate Professor, Asamushi Marine Biological Education and Research Center, Tohoku University
Name of the activity subject to selection: "Long-term dissemination activities of zoology through the implementation of marine biology practical training and marine biology-related lectures and presentations for elementary, junior high, and high school students, as well as working adults"

Since beginning his tenure at the Tohoku University Asamushi Marine Biological Education and Research Center (formerly the Marine Biological Station of Tohoku University) in 1978, Member Keiichiro Kyozuka has consistently conducted research activities in developmental biology and reproductive physiology using marine animals as his research materials. Based on his experience working with a diverse range of marine animals in these studies, Member Kyozuka has widely conducted marine biology practical training that allows people to experience marine creatures firsthand, making him a pioneer in outreach activities. In particular, through practical training, workshops, and lectures on marine biology aimed at elementary, junior high, and high school students, adults, school teachers involved in oceanography, and fisheries personnel, he continues practical enlightenment activities to raise interest in marine animals. In the past 10 years alone, the number of practical training sessions and lectures has reached nearly 100, conducted for a total of over 3,000 members of the general public. His contribution to the educational field is immense; by widely educating not only school teachers through re-education but also students in education departments aspiring to be future teachers, he has indirectly enlightened elementary, junior high, and high school students in marine biology. The fact that he has been featured in over 15 newspaper articles or various television reports in the last five years alone demonstrates the magnitude of the social impact of Member Kyozuka's educational activities. While continuing active research activities as a marine zoologist, Member Kyozuka has long deployed zoology dissemination activities by continuing marine biology practical training and workshop lectures.

Selection Committee Chair Takahiro Asami