Kellogg Biological Station welcomes new director

Janzen

The W.K. Kellogg Biological Station community is excited to welcome Dr. Fredric Janzen.

Janzen assumed the role of KBS director effective June 1, 2020. He is internationally recognized for his work in the fields of ecology and evolution. Using reptiles, particularly turtles, as a study organism, Janzen’s research examines the environmental and genetic factors that determine the expression of physiological, behavioral and life-history traits.

Janzen succeeds Jeff Conner, who has been serving as interim director since Katherine Gross stepped down from the post in 2018 after 14 years.

“We are all indebted for the stewardship of Kay Gross and Jeff Conner–and the entire KBS community–over….this leadership transition,” Janzen says.

He adds, “I empathize with the upheaval and challenges posed by the pandemic, and I look forward to working together in service of others, fulfilling the KBS mission.”

New faces at KBS

With Janzen’s arrival, two more researchers also will be coming to KBS. A. Carter, a postdoctoral associate from Victoria University, will arrive at KBS in August 2020. Caleb Krueger, a graduate student at Iowa State University, will join KBS in the summer of 2021.

About Janzen

Janzen earned a doctoral degree in ecology and evolution from the University of Chicago, a master’s degree in zoology from Colorado State University and a bachelor’s degree in biology from North Central College. His research focuses on the effects of genetic and environmental factors in mediating the expression of physiological, behavioral and life-history traits, primarily in reptiles.