John Maerz
Dennis and Sara Carey Distinguished Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources & Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor
John Maerz is the Dennis and Sarah Carey Distinguished Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources and a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. He is affiliated with the Center for Integrative Conservation Research’s Integrative Conservation Ph.D. Program (ICON) and is adjunct faculty in the Odum School of Ecology. He teaches courses in Principles of Fisheries and Wildlife Management, Animal Behavior, Herpetology, Sustaining Human Societies and the Natural Environment, and professional writing (aka Write Club). He also teaches workshops for graduate students and faculty on integrating professional writing into the classroom, effective ways to provide student feedback and assessment including deemphasizing the use of numerical grades. His research focuses on the effects of terrestrial and aquatic environmental change on the ecology of amphibians and reptiles and other wildlife; how variation in the abundances of animals affects terrestrial and freshwater ecosystem processes; and applying ecological and evolutionary principles to develop the necessary knowledge and approaches to improve decision making and more effectively manage herpetofauna and other wildlife. He was a Co-PI and member of the Science Advisory Committee for the former Coweeta LTER, an Associate Editor for the Journal of Wildlife Management for 13 years, and is now an Associate Editor for the Journal of Herpetology. Dr. Maerz has mentored over 100 undergraduate and 30 graduate students in research. He is the former chair of the University of Georgia’s Curriculum Committee and current chair of the Experiential Learning Subcommittee. Dr. Maerz chairs the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Pre-College Program and new Student Chapters Program, and he is the faculty advisor to the University of Georgia Herpetological Society and the University of Georgia Men’s Ice Hockey Team.
Education
Education
Ph.D. Biology, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, 2000.
Certificate in College Teaching, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, 2000.
B.Sc. Biology. University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 1992.
Professional Appointments
Professional Appointments
Dennis and Sara Carey Distinguished Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 2021 – present.
Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, University of Georgia, 2017 – present.
Professor of Vertebrate Ecology with tenure, University of Georgia, 2015 – present.
Associate Professor of Vertebrate Ecology with tenure, University of Georgia, 2010 – 2015.
Assistant Professor of Vertebrate Ecology, University of Georgia, 2005 – 2010.
Research Associate, Cornell University, 2001 – 2005.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of Expertise
Research Interests:
Dr. Maerz is broadly interested in animal ecology, evolution and conservation management. Much of his research focuses on the effects of terrestrial and aquatic environmental change, particularly the effects of nonnative species invasions, land use, and climate, on the ecology of amphibians and reptiles, how variation in the abundances of animals affects terrestrial and freshwater ecosystem processes, and applying ecological and evolutionary principles to develop knowledge and tools to effectively manage wildlife.
Teaching:
Dr. Maerz regularly teaches undergraduate courses in Animal Behavior (in Athens, GA and in New Zealand and Australia), Herpetology, Natural Sciences Research, Sustaining Human Societies and the Natural Environment (in New Zealand and Australia), and graduate courses in Applied Animal Behavior and Developing University Teaching Skills. Dr. Maerz also supervises a large number of undergraduates in research toward their senior thesis. In 2010 he received the UGA Early Career Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award, in 2011 he received UGA’s Richard B. Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, and in 2017 was name Josiah Meigs Distinguished Professor.
Publications
Publications
2021, named Dennis and Sara Carey Distinguished Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources
2020, Lamar Dodd Creative Research Award, University of Georgia
2019, selected Senior Teaching Fellow, University of Georgia
2017, named Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor
2017, Meritorious Teaching Award in Herpetology jointly awarded by the Herpetologist League, the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, and the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
2015, Inductee, University of Georgia Teaching Academy
2011, Richard B. Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
2010, Early Career Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award
UGA Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities
2010, Gamma Sigma Delta Junior Achievement in Teaching Award
2008, Herrick Award for Superior Teaching, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources
2007, University of Georgia Inaugural Writing Fellow, Center for Teaching and Learning
Other Links
Other Links
Professional Website: Maerz Lab Website
