Conner named interim director of KBS

Dr. Phil Duxbury, dean of Michigan State University’s College of Natural Sciences, and Dr. Matthew Daum, interim dean of the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, recently announced the selection of Dr. Jeffrey Conner to serve as interim director of the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. His appointment began Aug. 16, 2024. Dr. Conner succeeds previous KBS Director Fredric Janzen, who came to KBS in 2020 and had served as director for the past four years.  

Jeffrey Conner

Dr. Conner requires no introduction to the wider KBS community. He came to MSU in 1996 and holds appointments in both KBS and the Department of Plant Biology, in addition to serving as core faculty in the Department of Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior. He heads the Conner Lab at KBS, where he leads a respected research program that studies the natural selection mechanisms in plants that enable and constrain adaptations to variable environments. He also brings to this role a deep commitment to building a positive culture of diversity and inclusivity at KBS. Having previously served as interim director from 2018 to 2020, he’s proven the ability to provide exceptional interim leadership to KBS.  

Join us in supporting Dr. Conner and welcoming him back to an executive leadership role at KBS.