Biography
Jason Rohr is the chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame. In this role, he works collaboratively with the College of Science and provides overall strategic direction and leadership for the department and oversight of its research, teaching and outreach endeavors. He is also the Ludmilla F., Stephen J., and Robert T. Galla College Professor of Biological Sciences.
A highly visible scientist, his work has been published in leading scientific journals, including Nature, Science, PNAS, and several Nature journals, and supported by several funding agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, US Department of Agriculture, US Geological Survey, and US Environmental Protection Agency. Often called upon to speak at national and international meetings, he has been recognized with a host of honors, including both research and teaching awards. He was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2017. He also serves on editorial boards and frequently reviews for scientific journals.
Rohr joined the Notre Dame faculty in 2019 as the Ludmilla F., Stephen J., and Robert T. Galla College Professor of Biological Sciences. At Notre Dame, he has served in several capacities including Associate Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences and service on the Dean’s Advisory Committee, faculty search committees, and the department’s Committee for Appointments and Promotions. He also enjoyed participating in ND LEAD, a leadership-training program at Notre Dame. Rohr is also an enthusiastic educator, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in Animal Behavior, Parasitology, Introductory and Advanced Biological Statistics, and Large Scales and Big Data in Biology, and is dedicated to student mentoring and training.
Prior to joining the faculty at Notre Dame, Rohr was a faculty member at the University of South Florida, where he was the Associate Chair of his department, Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Ecology Research, Chair of search committees, Chair of the Faculty Advisory Committee that developed a departmental strategic plan, and a member of the University’s Strategic Planning Committee. After earning his Ph.D. at Binghamton University, he was a postdoc at the University of Kentucky, and then a Research Associate at Penn State University before accepting a faculty position at the University of South Florida.
Rohr’s research laboratory focuses on the interface between ecology and public and ecosystem health. His lab is particularly interested in understanding how anthropogenic changes, mainly pollution, climate change, agricultural development, and alterations to biodiversity, affect wildlife populations, species interactions, and the spread of both wildlife and human diseases. For additional details, see his departmental webpage and his laboratory website.