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incredulousTopic: Frog Blog Profiles
I have another Frog Blog exclusive for you. Dr. Bob Brodman, from St. Joseph’s College in Northern Indiana, has agreed to an online interview. He has done extensive research with amphibians and is responsible for much of Northern Indiana's amphibian conservation efforts. Here is what he had to say.
Top Ten Questions on the Board
Wendell’s Frog Blog Online Interview
1)WFB: Name, Rank and Serial Number. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? Where did you go to school? Maybe a little about your family? (Married? Siblings?) Hobbies?
Dr. Brodman: I am a professor of biology & environmental science at Saint Joseph's College. I got my PhD from Kent State University. I have a wife and an 8 year old daughter who I coach in baseball & soccer. Hobbies: Herps (job & hobby blends), sports, percussion instruments.
2)WFB: What sparked your interest in amphibians? What is your favorite amphibian, and why?
Dr. Brodman: As a young child, I was always fascinated by animals and had several experiences of finding salamanders. Later in grad school the concept of metamorphosis as a powerful adaptation caught my interest and I've been studying amphibians ever since. My favorite amphibians to study are the pond-breeding Ambystoma salamanders because most of the adults are colorful and the larvae are awesome predators. But my favorite is probably the hellbender. It's big, rare and what a great name. My fantasy football & baseball teams are called the Hellbenders.
3)WFB: Do you keep any pets?
Dr. Brodman: At home, we have three dogs & three cats. In the lab, I usually keep several species of salamanders (lesser siren, newts, blue-spotted salamanders, tiger salamanders, and others that I might be studying). Pets vs. animals for education? Again, the distinction between work & hobby blurs.
4)WFB: How are you involved with amphibians and their conservation?
Dr. Brodman: My research is split between ecological questions associated with biodiversity of amphibians especially how several species are able to coexist in a habitat despite varying amounts of competition and predation. This kind of information can be useful in understanding conditions that affect their conservation. The other half of my research is more conservation oriented, such as restoration as a means of increasing amphibian biodiversity, the usefulness of amphibians in mosquito control, and landscape questions that focus on habitat characteristics that are associated with high biodiversity.
5)WFB: How did you get involved in this?
Dr. Brodman: My PhD is in Ecology and I studied competition between spotted and Jefferson salamanders for my dissertation. When I first came to Saint Joe's I wanted to continue this kind of research. In my 2nd year, I was invited to the 1st Declining Amphibian Population Task Force meeting and became aware of the major conservation concerns that surfaced in the early 90's. I realized the need for base-line data and continued monitoring of populations and began a program in Jasper County in 1994 where my students & I have been surveying amphibian populations ever since.
I also was invited to join the IDNR's Technical Advisory Committee on Amphibians and Reptiles. This group meets once a year to make recommendations to the state with regard to herp conservation. As I made many contacts that led to collaborations to the point where now most of my research is at least partially dealing with herp conservation.
6)WFB: What has been the most fulfilling part of working with amphibians for you?
Dr. Brodman: I have gotten more out of it that I would have guessed when I 1st started. It feels good to find that a large-scale habitat restoration in Newton County resulted in an exponential increase in the abundance of amphibians. I'll never get tired of saying that. This inspired me to get my college to allow me to manage 67 acres on campus as a field station where we are conducting habitat restorations. Creating a 9 acre wetland and seeing it teaming with tiger salamander larvae is very fulfilling. But there is also a human aspect as well. Nothing is more fulfilling to me than to teach a conservation ethic and the see your students become concerned about amphibians.
7)WFB: What would be the best way for others to get involved as you have?
Dr. Brodman: I'll mention two paths. Volunteer. You join an amphibian monitoring program. The data is useful and you get to become part of a bigger long-term project. Education. Go to college, take conservation and herpetology courses, and most importantly get involved in research. At Saint Joseph's College, I have created an Amphibian Population Research program that allows students to get involved as early as their 1st year. The research skills learned are invaluable in preparing you for a career in wildlife conservation or graduation school.
8)WFB: How did you learn about amphibians to do what you do?
Dr. Brodman: First, I learned the basics of science - Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. You have to be a scientist before you become a scientist who studies herp conservation. Then later on my interest in animals and salamanders in particular came together when I took my first ecology class in graduate school. I also cannot imagine doing what I do now if I did not do the research necessary to get a PhD. If not, then I think that I'd still would have been a good teacher and perhaps had an interest in herps, but no way would I have done the research or trained my students to do the research that we've been doing. Again, research is the most important experience to learn how to be a scientist.
9)WFB: What is the most important thing you want others to know?
Dr. Brodman: The Hellbenders are currently in 1st place in my fantasy baseball league.
10)WFB: Do you have anything else you would like to share? (websites, contact info, other affiliations)
Dr. Brodman: Here is a link to my research website: http://www.saintjoe.edu/academics/env_science/bobb/amphib1.html Dr. Brodman's research site
The site needs updating, but there are pictures that you can download.
Go Hellbenders! Thank you for a terrific and inspiring interview, Dr. Brodman. If you would like to see short video clips of Dr. Brodman discussing Wetland Diversity and Seasonal Strategies, check out
Frog Calls... an evolving "webumentary". He will also be speaking at the Hoosier Herpetological Society meeting at Butler University on June 21st. He has two chapters in Status and Conservation of Midwestern Amphibians among many other publications. I would like to thank Dr. Brodman for his time and efforts through research and conservation toward amphibians, making the world a better place.
Posted by wendellsfrogblog
at 12:19 PM EDT
