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Dr. Kathy Tonnessen describes herself as tenacious, smart, organized, and persistent. And she’s right on. All these attributes have contributed to her success as research coordinator of the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU). For her accomplishments in this new role Kathy won the Director’s Award for Natural Resource Research in 2002.
Two years ago Kathy was selected by the National Park Service as one of its first CESU coordinators in the country. After relocating to Missoula, Montana, her task was to assemble a team of researchers and technical specialists through the University of Montana with whom the National Park Service could collaborate on park research questions. Then she had to find creative ways to fund the variety of research projects from the 15 national parks served by this CESU. Kathy says it was not an easy task: “It was just starting from scratch. There were no people, no organization; it was a lot of work.”
The role Kathy plays now has been called “marriage broker”; she brings together parks that need research with scientists who need field time. The resulting partnership of the Rocky Mountains CESU is functioning well and has addressed many national issues, such as wildlife and fishery diseases, management of ungulate populations, air quality, exotic plant management, and threatened and endangered species.
Kathy’s work with the Rocky Mountains CESU has set a high standard after which other CESUs are being modeled.
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