Marius van der Merwe

Marius van der Merwe serves as Professor of Biology at Utah Tech University, where he prioritizes undergraduate education through hands-on field research in the deserts and mountains surrounding St. George. His academic responsibilities include teaching General Ecology, Medical Ecology, and South Africa Natural History courses within the Biology department.

His educational foundation comprises a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Illinois at Chicago, an M.Sc. in Entomology from the University of Pretoria, and a B.Sc. in Zoology and Genetics from the same institution.

Research interests span Behavioral Ecology, Cliff Ecology, and Lichen Ecology, evolving from dissertation work on squirrel foraging behavior—examining food value, predation risk, and competitive coexistence—to current investigations of cliff-dwelling lichens. He emphasizes ecological survey techniques through undergraduate projects involving camera traps, live trapping, and vegetation baseline surveys.

Professor van der Merwe actively mentors undergraduates in field research, designing projects on optimal foraging experiments and cliff ecosystem documentation. His teaching philosophy centers on experiential learning within southern Utah's unique landscapes, with office hours held in SET 429.