Recipient of the 2020 Mountaineers Service Award, Thomas Bancroft holds a Ph.D. in Biology and an M.A. in Zoology. His research focused on birds and their conservation. He served in conservation organization leadership roles, where he promoted the use of scientific information in U.S. public lands policy and stewardship decisions. He is a frequent speaker and a writer for regional nature periodicals. His photographs have appeared in Audubon, Birding, American Birds, and Mountaineer Magazine, and more, as well as at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.