Bob Hamilton has been a part of the Oklahoma Chapter of the Nature Conservancy's Tallgrass Prairie Preserve since its inception in 1988. As Director of Science and Stewardship, he has helped to lay the framework for the preserve's management. In 1991 Hamilton was given the additional title of Assistant Director to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, and now manages the day-to-day operations of the nearly 40,000 acre preserve.

This year Hamilton accepted the "Excellence in Range Land Management" Award from the Oklahoma Section Society for Range Management on behalf of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve staff. The award recognizes the benefits to wildlife by the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve's continued use of controlled burns on the landscape. Before working in Oklahoma, Hamilton worked at The Nature Conservancy's Cross Ranch Nature Preserve in North Dakota, where he introduced bison and prescribed burns for the first time. His expertise in bison ecology has led to several published articles, appearing in Applied Animal Behavior Science and the Journal of Range Management. Hamilton is a Kansas native and holds a Master of Science in Biology degree from Emporia State University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Biology degree from Southwestern College. He lives with his wife and daughter in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.