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Dr. Jason Rohr is an Associate Professor in Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida. He received his Masters Degree in Teaching Biology from Binghamton University and his PhD in Ecology and Behavior from Binghamton University as well. Jason completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Ecology and Toxicology at the University of Kentucky, and he served as an Instructor and Research Associate at Pennsylvania State University before joining the faculty at the University of South Florida. Jason is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
Jason’s research interests fall at the interface of ecotoxicology, conservation biology, and community, population, behavioral, and disease ecology. He is particularly interested in how anthropogenic changes, mainly pollution and climate change, affect wildlife populations, species interactions, and the spread of disease. These effects are undoubtedly complex and dependent upon biotic and abiotic conditions. Consequently, he and his collaborators have studied interactions among multiple natural and anthropogenic stressors and are making efforts to integrate their research across disciplines. Their goal is to understand, and develop solutions to, environmental problems to enhance the likelihood of a sustainable existence for both humans and wildlife. Much of Jason’s research has focused on amphibians because they are declining globally. However, he has worked with a diversity of taxa and tends to be more motivated by interesting questions, syntheses, and the quest for generalities in ecology and conservation than taxa-specific pursuits. When possible, he tries to integrate laboratory experiments, mesocosm studies, field experiments, field surveys, and mathematical models to enhance the understanding of natural systems.