Presentation of the Harrell L. Strimple Award of the Paleontological Society to Antonio De Angeli

Abstract

It is my distinct honor to present Antonio De Angeli as the 2013 Harrell L. Strimple Award recipient. Certainly, no amateur paleontologist could be better qualified for the award. Antonio is an amazing scholar with a vast knowledge of fossil crabs, an expert artist and illustrator, a concerned conservator of the Italian fossil heritage, and a generous contributor to the research efforts of others. All this while remaining a modest, self-effacing individual. Antonio's professional life began as an apprentice goldsmith at the age of 14. From the age of 25 until he retired, he worked at Camponola Spa, crafting accessories for racing bicycles. I am not certain how it relates to bike racing, but Antonio encouraged me to purchase a Camponola corkscrew, a most wonderful device. His professional career was quite apart from his life-long interest in natural history. I first came to know of Antonio's work when Carrie Schweitzer and I were considering people to contact as regional experts who might support our work in assembling the revision of the decapods for the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Quite frankly, his research productivity and the extremely high quality of his work led us to the conclusion that he was a professional paleontologist. Antonio immediately expressed interest in being involved and, with the collaboration of his colleagues in Montecchio Maggiore, Italy, …