The (very) Distinguished Explorer Awards

On Friday, April 10, 2026, Dr. Nicholas D. Pyenson was the latest recipient of the Roy Chapman Andrews award. The Roy Chapman Andrews Society recognises a distinguished explorer every year in an effort to keep Andrews’ legacy alive. Roy Chapman Andrews is best known for being not only a Beloit native but also an explorer who made knowledge accessible to the masses through his photography and scholarship. This year, Dr. Nicholas D. Pyenson was given this honor for his work as a remarkable paleontologist. 

Currently working as the head curator of Fossil Marine Mammals and chair of Paleobiology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., Dr. Pyenson focuses his work on whales and other marine vertebrates. His work highlights a larger effort to make knowledge of marine paleontology more accessible to larger audiences. 

Dr. Pyenson’s work is a continuation of Andrew’s legacy. His research can be found online, as well as in books and interactive works. “Part of Roy Chapman Andrews’ legacy is still on display. Here’s [the picture of] the actual skeleton that was collected in 1912 by Roy Chapman Andrews. If you wanted to know if the legacy is still patent, the answer is yes,” said Dr. Pyenson.

 Dr. Pyenson provided a unique perspective in his lecture about the necessary collaborations that come with his career: “Anyone who knows anything about doing science in the real world knows that you do not do it alone. There’s a need for expertise. There’s also the need for contributions from different backgrounds. A lot of the work I’ll share relies on the collaborations that have happened over the course of my career.”  

Dr. Pyenson relayed an important lesson on the importance of his work in documenting knowledge. “Collecting still happens, not with a harpoon, but we collect with different tools such as drones and tags.” The Roy Chapman Andres Society not only reminds us of the importance of collecting and documenting our world, but also reminds us of the advancements made every day in the field. 

_{Featured image: Betty Cavicchia’28}