The Elmer C. Birney Award (formerly the ASM Award) is the Society's oldest student honorarium, established in 1951. In 2001, it was re-named in honor of Elmer Birney, a long-time member and past President of ASM.  Dr. Birney was a professor at the University of Minnesota for 40 years and served as curator of mammals of the Bell Museum of Natural History, where he is perhaps best known for his work on the physiology and ecology of grassland rodents.  He served the Society in many ways, including as Managing and Journal Editor for the Journal of Mammalogy and its Special Publications. One of the hallmarks of his service was his long-standing commitment to graduate education, as an advisor, mentor, and teacher, as well as increasing participation of young people in the Society.