2026 Louis M Herman Research Scholarship Winners

For the 2025-2026 call for proposals, we received an exceptional 45 submissions from researchers across the globe, representing Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Israel, Madagascar, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The quality and breadth of submissions were the highest on record, making the review process both inspiring and highly competitive.

Lewis Evans

University of Hawai’i, Marine Mammal Research Program

PhD Student

“Energetic Expenditure and Physical Traits Shaping Male Reproductive Strategies in Humpback Whales on the Hawaiian Breeding Grounds”

Melanie Smith

Syracuse University, Bioacoustics and Behavioral Ecology Lab (BABEL)

PhD Student

@whales_mels, @whalesmels.bsky.social / @babel_lab_su, @subabel.bsky.social

“Examining the Effect of Female Acoustic Signaling on Dyad Stability on a Humpback Whale Breeding Ground”