Faculty and students from the Borderlands Research Institute at Sul Ross State University were recognized last weekend during the Houston Safari Club Foundation’s annual banquet, highlighting continued national support for conservation research rooted in the Trans-Pecos region.
BRI founder Dr. Louis Harveson attended the event alongside students Matt Hewitt, Andrew Dotray, Jesse Ellgren, and Halli Lovell, all past or current recipients of the Houston Safari Club Foundation’s Dan L. Duncan Scholarship.
During the banquet, Harveson was honored as Conservationist of the Year by the Houston Safari Club Foundation, recognizing his leadership and the growth of the Borderlands Research Institute since its founding. His work has helped establish BRI as a nationally respected center for applied wildlife research and conservation in arid and borderland ecosystems.
Graduate researcher Matt Hewitt also addressed attendees, sharing his experience as a former scholarship recipient and providing updates on his doctoral research examining black bear abundance and distribution across the Trans-Pecos region. His work contributes to a growing body of science informing wildlife management decisions in West Texas.
Students Andrew Dotray, Jesse Ellgren, and Halli Lovell were recognized as Dan L. Duncan Scholarship recipients for the 2025–2026 academic year. Master’s students Emilie Brochon and Kevin LeGrow, who were not pictured, were also named scholarship recipients.
BRI officials expressed appreciation for the continued support from the Houston Safari Club Foundation, noting that its investment directly advances student training, field research, and conservation outcomes across the Borderlands region.
The recognition underscores the expanding national profile of Sul Ross State University’s research programs and the role of partnerships in supporting science-based conservation in West Texas and beyond.
