Fausto Sarmiento, professor of mountain science in the Department of Geography at the University of Georgia, USA, received the 2019 Barry Bishop Career Award in April during the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers. The award recognizes exemplary research productivity, professional contributions, and teaching excellence in the study of mountains.

Sarmiento has helped to reevaluate disciplinary and institutional approaches to sustainable development in mountain environments like the Tropical Andes. He is co-chair of the Mountains Specialist Group of the World Commission on Protected Areas and member of the World Conservation Union’s Protected Landscapes Task Force. He serves on the editorial boards for the Annals of the AAG (USA), the Journal of Mountain Science (China) and the Journal of Mountain Ecology (Spain), and he chairs the Latin American and Caribbean Mountain Research Network.

With 32 years of experience in the developing world, Sarmiento has distinguished himself as a leader in his field, receiving numerous awards and recognitions, including a Fulbright Fellowship to Japan. He also serves as a consultant to UNESCO, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the Pan American Center for Geographic Research and Studies on matters related to conservation of mountain ecosystems and biocultural heritage.