Bonnie Ploger

Bonnie Ploger serves as Professor of Biology at Hamline University and Artist in Residence at the Center for Global Environmental Education. She holds a BA in Biology from Mount Holyoke College, MS from University of Oklahoma, PhD in Zoology from University of Florida, and completed postdoctoral work at Queen's University in Canada.

Her educational foundation includes:

• BA in Biology, Mount Holyoke College
• MS, University of Oklahoma
• PhD in Zoology, University of Florida
• Postdoctoral Research, Queen's University, Canada

As a behavioral ecologist, Professor Ploger investigates animal behavior, ecology, and conservation across diverse taxa including birds, mammals, and insects. She pioneers interdisciplinary approaches that integrate artmaking with ecological concepts to deepen environmental awareness, while examining intersections of biology with race, ethnicity, class, and gender in conservation contexts. Her teaching emphasizes outdoor exploration and critical engagement with natural systems.

Her publication record (1983-2004) reveals concentrated expertise in avian behavioral ecology, particularly sibling aggression and parental care mechanisms in egrets and herons. These studies employ rigorous field and laboratory methodologies to analyze food distribution, brood reduction, and kleptoparasitism, culminating in the influential educational text Exploring Animal Behavior in Laboratory and Field. The research demonstrates consistent methodological innovation in hypothesis-testing approaches to animal behavior.

Professor Ploger has mentored students through approximately 40 collaborative research projects spanning field sites, zoos, and laboratories. She develops interdisciplinary teaching materials that merge art and science for K-12 through college audiences, reflecting her conviction that creative engagement drives biological understanding.

Through her Artist in Residence position, she leads workshops integrating art and environmental science for educators and the public. Her artistic practice—encompassing paintings, photography, performances, and installations exploring cave-inspired metaphors for inner landscapes—has been exhibited regionally at university galleries and museums, internationally in Zhuhai, China, and through Project Art for Nature initiatives across Wisconsin and Minnesota.