STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A Mississippi State University Extension Service fisheries specialist is being inducted as a fellow of the American Fisheries Society.

Wes Neal, also a research professor in the MSU Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture and the MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center, will be among several newly elected Fellows of the Society recognized at the AFS annual meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, in September.

The designation is reserved for AFS members who have advanced the fisheries profession through leadership, research, teaching, conservation and outreach.

WFA head Andy Kouba said the prestigious honor recognizes Neal’s career and dedication to the society and the fisheries field.

“Becoming a fellow with AFS is one of the highest honors given out by the organization and reflects a long career of service in the profession and to the society itself,” Kouba said.

Neal was also recognized by AFS in 2023, when he received the society’s Excellence in Public Outreach award. This distinction is presented to fisheries professionals who share the value of fisheries sciences and research with the public through media and other communication platforms.

Since coming to MSU as an assistant Extension professor in 2008, Neal has conducted research in fisheries and pond management, aquatic vegetation, fish bioenergetics and tropical fisheries ecology.