Academic Positions

1997-present: Professor, University of Maryland, Center for Environmental Science, Appalachian Laboratory
1987-1997: Associate Professor, University of Maryland
1985-1986: Assistant Professor, University of Maryland
1979-1985: Assistant Professor, Princeton University
1977-1979: National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Minnesota

Degrees

Ph.D. in Zoology, University of Michigan, 1977
B.S.  in Zoology, University of Michigan, 1971

A day’s work in the field begins before his study subjects have risen with the sun, and comes to a close at dusk, only when the last lingering prairie dog feels satisfied with the day’s work and retires to his underground burrow for the night. Through long daily hours while the prairie dogs are aboveground and active, John is in his observation tower recording interactions, tirelessly collecting the information he needs to answer his research questions. Consistent. Yet full of surprises. Every day is different, every season is different, and every prairie dog has her unique way of fulfilling her purpose in the colony, the meadow, the ecosystem. Not a season with the prairie dogs goes by that doesn’t pique John’s interest, whether presenting him with an unexpected behavior, a long-sought-after answer, or, inevitably, more questions. John began studying prairie dogs as a young graduate student in the mid-1970s, and through these 44 years, his work has continued to be as exciting and as relevant as it was when he began.

John has had many offices in his career, moving his nomadic collection of equipment to and from locations in Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico to study four of the five extant prairie dog species: the black-tailed, white-tailed, Utah, and Gunnison’s, with the only species eluding him the isolated Mexican prairie dog in north-central Mexico. John’s research sites have taken him to some of the most beautiful open landscapes in the United States: the Wind Cave, Petrified Forest, and Bryce Canyon National Parks, the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, and the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Joined by a new group of field assistants every year – some undergraduate students, some young professionals – affectionately called his Prairie Dog Squad, John begins the annual research season at first snow-melt in the early spring and ends it after the emergence of offspring in the summer. And in the fall he returns to his research site for a short period to re-mark his in-molt study subjects (a markathon, as he calls it) before the winter. This kind of in-the-field time has been a privilege afforded to him by the Appalachian Laboratory of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science in Frostburg, MD, where you will find John in the off-season taking a break from field work so that he can analyze data, commit to his writing, and tend to the equally-essential aspects of scientific research from behind his desk.

It has been a long and fulfilling journey for John. Though he has cemented quite the legacy as a behavioral ecologist, he is also a husband and father, and credits his ever-supportive family – wife Judy and their four children – for helping him to pursue his calling in the field, to dedicate half a year of every year to those long hours with the prairie dogs – consecutive days of nonstop work. Over the decades, John's family has joined him in his semi-nomadic life, traveling across the country to new grassland locales, joining him as field assistants, waiting for him to come home for late-night dinners, and supporting his scientific curiosity.

A field researcher is a scientist and a naturalist, and John has been a passionate advocate for an animal often misunderstood and sometimes persecuted in an inexorably human-dominated landscape. In part for scientific curiosity, in part for the invaluable contributions to the wildlife field, in part for the thrill of unraveling the mysteries of a conspicuous but secretive animal, but in no less part in simple defense of the oft-maligned prairie dog, John has dedicated his life to proving and supporting the essential, irreplaceable role these animals play in the sensitive ecosystems of the American west.

John has amassed a library of knowledge from his many years with the prairie dog, quite literally. His writings amount to more than 70 scientific publications and two books, with his magnum opus in the works. Of his research have been over 5,000 citations to his publications; dozens of features in national and international journals and programs (print, radio, and television) from public programming to National Geographic to the BBC; and mentions in numerous textbooks. Having proven himself an expert on prairie dog behavior, John has reviewed and consulted in numerous scientific and natural history journals. In short, he is the man to go to for all things prairie dog.

To learn more about the origins of the prairie dog project and why John began studying these species, visit our STUDY HISTORY page.

"Before joining the prairie dog squad I wanted to gain fieldwork experience, specifically in behavioral ecology. Back at UMaine I work in the Wildlife Disease Genetics Laboratory and volunteer some of my free time trapping small mammals for another professor. I learned from being a member of the prairie dog squad that I love collecting data outside just as much as inside the lab. In the future, I plan to go to graduate school, but I do not know what for yet since I enjoy learning about genetics, disease ecology, and animal behavior. I just hope someday to be as passionate about my work as John is for his. Being a part of the prairie dog squad and working alongside John was truly a once in a lifetime experience." - Carly Dickinson, PD Squad 2017

"I worked with the prairie dog squad from May to June, summer of 2017. My observation area had 18 adult prairie dogs. The team and I worked mainly on trapping prairie dogs and recording behavioral observations throughout the season. I personally witnessed some really interesting behaviors including an infanticide and multiple predations. I also observed many species interactions between the prairie dogs and got to know all of the dogs in my area very well. Working with John was an excellent experience and gave me some valuable new field work skills. I was also given the opportunity to work with two different film crews during my time in New Mexico." - Jimmy Welch, PD Squad 2017