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Bonnie Ploger is a Professor Emerita in biology and an Artist in Residence at the . She holds a B.A. in Biology from Mount Holyoke College (Massachusetts), an M.S. in Zoology from the University of Oklahoma, and a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Florida. Before coming to �Ͼ�Ʒ��, she taught for a year at Grinnell College (Iowa) and conducted postdoctoral research at Queen’s University (Ontario, Canada). At �Ͼ�Ʒ��, she served as Biology Department Chair, Divisional Coordinator for the Natural Sciences, and most notably as the last President of Faculty Council, when she shepherded the change to a faculty senate structure.

Professor Ploger is a behavioral ecologist who has mentored over 40 collaborative research students in projects on biology education and original research in behavior, ecology and conservation of animals including mammals, birds, lizards, frogs and insects. Her commitment to advancing science teaching led her to co-edit with Ken Yasukawa of Beloit College, the book “” (2003, Academic Press) and its companion teacher’s guide.

As Artist in Residence at the Center for Global Environmental Education, Professor Ploger has developed teaching methods that integrate art-making with ecological concepts to deepen understanding and environmental awareness. She shares these methods in interdisciplinary �Ͼ�Ʒ�� courses and workshops for K-12 teachers, artists and the public. Professor Ploger’s artistic work includes paintings, photography and art installations, which she frequently exhibits in university art galleries, museums and art centers in the upper Midwest. She has also exhibited internationally in a solo exhibition in Zhuhai, China, where she was the first Artist in Residence at United International College. View some of her artwork at her .

Most of Professor Ploger’s teaching has been of undergraduates in biology and environmental studies, but she has also taught in the MFA in Creative Writing program. Her undergraduate teaching has included courses in animal behavior, vertebrate biology, introductory ecology and evolution, conservation biology, nature and art in healthcare and international courses in Jamaica, Costa Rica, Brazil, Ecuador and the People’s Republic of China. In her courses, Professor Ploger creates a welcoming, inclusive environment where she encourages active participation and collaboration as students learn through direct experience during lab and outdoor investigations, often of their own design.