Jerrold H. Zar

Jerrold H. Zar received a B.S. degree in biology, with a minor in chemistry, from Northern Illinois University and completed the secondary-school teacher certification program there. He then attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he received an M.S. degree in biology and a Ph.D. degree in zoology with minors in physiology and chemistry. As an undergraduate he worked for the NIU Department of Biological Sciences and on a National Science Foundation research project. During his graduate studies he served as a teaching assistant in several undergraduate and graduate biology courses and was awarded graduate fellowships from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. After a post-doctoral research appointment at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign he joined the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences at NIU in 1968, becoming assistant professor, then associate professor, then professor, teaching 18 different undergraduate and graduate courses. He was appointed chair of that department in 1978. In 1984 Dr. Zar was appointed Associate Provost (later Vice Provost) for Graduate Studies and Research and Dean of the Graduate School at NIU, serving until his retirement in 2002. During his professional career, Dr. Zar has published nine editions of two books, more than 50 journal articles and book chapters, and over 60 invited book reviews. He has held membership in 17 professional and honorary scientific societies (including Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science), and has served as a consultant to industry and to government agencies. He attributes much of success as a scientist and educator to his excellent undergraduate education at NIU.