Professors Eric Hilton and Juliette Smith of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at Gloucester Point have been selected as recipients of Plumeri Awards for Faculty Excellence at the College of William and Mary. The awards were presented at a May 13 ceremony at W&M’s Alumni House.

Global business executive, philanthropist and civic leader Joseph J. Plumeri II established the awards in 2009 to reward outstanding faculty and enhance the recipients’ teaching, research and mentorship.

Recipients of the awards are selected based on their accomplishments in the areas of discovery, scholarship, teaching and athletics. Beginning in 2019, the number of recipients was reduced from 20 to 10 annually and the award increased from $10,000 to $20,000 to be used by the faculty member over a three-year period.

Hilton is a professor of fisheries science at VIMS and is involved with a wide array of projects on local fishes, including the biology of anadromous fishes in the Chesapeake Bay, such as American shad and river herring. He serves on technical committees for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Hilton has also published nearly 100 peer-reviewed papers.

Since coming to VIMS in 2007, Hilton has played an integral part in revitalizing the Nunnally Ichthyology Collection.

Smith and her research group investigate the ecology, chemistry and ecotoxicology of toxins produced by harmful algal blooms in coastal environments.

Since joining the VIMS faculty in 2014, Smith’s research has largely focused on the Chesapeake Bay. Her recent research has been aimed at local shellfish hatcheries, where she works with colleagues to evaluate algal bloom toxins and other stressors as possible impediments to aquaculture production.