By Ronica Stromberg
Twenty years ago as an undergraduate student, Tony Barada helped organize the annual Wildlife Club Banquet held in the School of Natural Resources to award outstanding members and others. This spring, he returned to what is now the entire school's banquet and received his own award as the 2025 Distinguished Service Alumni.
An alumnus with both his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Barada heads the Fish Division of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. He leads teams across the state in managing the fisheries that stock Nebraska lakes, setting regulations and performing research to maintain or improve fish habitat. He said he felt surprised and grateful to be named the award winner.
"I was extremely thankful and proud because the school itself meant a lot to me 15- to 20-plus years ago, when I was actually going there, but it has continued to mean a lot to me through the work that we've been doing at Game and Parks and the interactions and the collaborations we've had over time," he said.
He pointed out that the School of Natural Resources and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission have a close bond, with about half of the 59 Fisheries Division’s employees holding one or more University of Nebraska–Lincoln degrees, the vast majority from the School of Natural Resources or its predecessors.
Read the full story and see more pictures at https://snr.unl.edu/aboutus/what/newstory.aspx?fid=1241