By Kylee Reed
With a new year comes the hope of new experiences, acquaintances, and the prospect of boundless opportunity. 2012 has not been a disappointment. I began this year joining the Roy Chapman Andrews Society (RCAS) as their intern, a position that I am most humbled to have acquired as the spirited adventurer, Andrews, happened to be a childhood hero of mine. As such, I am gifted with the chance to meet some of the world’s most inquisitive and respected minds. This year, the RCAS recognized Dr. Nathan Wolfe as their Distinguished Explorer awardee for 2012.
Dr. Wolfe is recognized globally as one of the foremost authorities on microbes and novel viruses. He has performed both active fieldwork and has employed meticulous lab research techniques to target and prevent the next pandemics that our world faces. Venturing outside of the laboratory and traveling to such areas as Southeast Asia (Malaysia) and sub-Saharan Africa (Uganda, Cameroon), Wolfe has garnered the reputation of being the “Indiana Jones of virus hunters.”
