Kevin Bonine, PhD

Joint Faculty in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the School of Natural Resources and the Environment Kevin’s career lies at the intersection of academic research, environmental awareness, effective education, and community engagement. He grew up in Tucson and attended the University of Arizona as a Flinn Scholar earning undergraduate degrees in both Econo mics and in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Kevin’s graduate degrees are from the University of Wisconsin Madison where he focused on evolutionary physiology using lizards as a model system. His recent research on reptiles and amphibians includes Gila monsters and canyon treefrogs, with emphasis on natural history, ecology, population genetics, and conservation incorporating citizen science opportunities. Kevin has taught many well regarded UA courses, including introductory biology, herpetology, conservation biology, and vertebrate physiology. Other courses include a collaboration with ASDM and Biosphere 2, titled Sonoran Desert Discovery, wherein UA students teach desert ecology to school children and the public. During the summer, Kevin occasionally teaches a three week field course that explores the ecology and natural history of our region from atop the Santa Catalina Mountains, through the Sonoran Desert, ending at the Desert Sea in the Northern Gulf of California in Mexico. Launched earlier this year was a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that shares ‘Biosphere 2 Science for the Future of Our Planet’ with a global audience. Recent initiatives funded by the National Science Foundation include training for underrepresented groups in Earth systems science; recruitment, training, and retention of STEM teachers in southern Arizona; and exploration of best practices in digital complements to science education programs. Kevin has been recognized with the UA College of Science’s Distinguished Early Career Teaching Award, named both a Flinn Brown Fellow of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership and a Faculty Fellow in the Haury Program for Environment and Social Justice, and recognized with the Philecology Endowed Chair at Biosphere 2. Kevin serves on the boards of directors of the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Friends of Saguaro National Park, and the Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans (CEDO) in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora.