UMSL scholars Michael Cosmopoulos (left) and Robert Marquis will be honored by the Academy of Science of St. Louis during the 2014 Outstanding Scientists Awards dinner April 9 at the Chase Park Plaza in Clayton, Mo. (Photos by August Jennewein)

Michael Cosmopoulos is a world-renowned authority in Greek archeology, and Robert Marquis is a mentor to many, inspiring and educating the next generation.

The two instructors at the University of Missouri–St. Louis will be honored for their scientific contributions by the Academy of Science of St. Louis. Cosmopoulos, the Hellenic Government-Karakas Family Foundation Endowed Professor of Greek Studies and professor of archaeology at UMSL, will receive the Trustees Award, and Marquis, professor of biology and director of the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center at UMSL, will receive the Science Educator Award.

The awards will be given during the 2014 Outstanding Scientists Awards dinner April 9 at the Chase Park Plaza in Clayton, Mo.

Cosmopoulos will be given the Trustees Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the Academy’s mission of promoting understanding and appreciation of science, engineering and technology. The award honors his exemplary outreach programs through which he has educated students and the public alike in archaeological science through his field projects and classes.

Cosmopoulos’ work has garnered extensive media attention from noteworthy publications like the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The New York Times and National Geographic. In fact, he has been honored by the National Geographic Society for his excavation at Iklaina, Greece, where in 2011, he unearthed the oldest written record in Europe. He’s been included in a group of select National Geographic Explorers.

Marquis will receive the Science Educator Award, which recognizes a distinguished individual or organization on the basis of outstanding contributions to science education or to the public understanding of science, engineering or technology.

Throughout his career he has involved post-doctoral associates, graduate students, undergraduate students and high school students in his research and extends his mentoring to new faculty members. He helps with science education in the St. Louis region at all levels of education. He has mentored many high school students in the UMSL Students and Teachers as Research Scientists program, organized science fairs at Jackson Park Elementary School in University City, Mo., and brought his “Caterpillar Roadshow” to local elementary schools over the years.

The Academy of Science of St. Louis promotes the recognition of the impressive scientists of St. Louis. Each award winner represents both an extraordinary caliber of expertise and a dedication to fostering science literacy.