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Campus Review
May 7, 2013
Joshua Parker Awarded Best Overall Presentation at
Regional Herpetology Conference
Clayton State’s resident herpetologist,
Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Joshua
Parker, was honored as giving the “Best
Overall Presentation” at the University of
Florida’s 35th annual regional herpetol-
ogy conference in Gainesville, Fla.
Parker spoke to the Apr. 5 and Apr. 6 con-
ference on his research over the past four
years on his favorite species of snake, the
Midget Faded Rattlesnake, which he has
been studying since his Ph.D. days.
“My talk was entitled `Integrating genet-
ics and habitat modeling to inform conser-
vation of midget faded rattlesnakes
(Crotalus
ore-
ganus
concol-
or),’” he says,
adding that the
genetics and mod-
eling techniques he
uses can be applied
to most species, not
just the western rat-
tlesnake species he
works with the
most.
While Parker was in graduate school, he
went out to help another graduate student
collect rattlesnakes.
“I immediately fell in love with them and
knew I wanted to do my Ph.D studying
them,” he explains. “I am obsessed with
all snakes, but especially rattlesnakes and
their venomous kin. I guess you can say
they have been my muse in life ever since,
both personally and professionally.”
A reception honoring students in the Teacher Education program was held in CE 101 on Apr. 25.
Dr. Joshua Parker