Kevin Baldwin

Professor, Biology

Rm 241 Center for Science & Business 309-457-2148 Visit my website

Biography

Like many undergrads, I had broad interests and ended up double-majoring in biology and history. A vertebrate natural history course and a summer as a field assistant at a biological field station tipped the balance for me to pursue biology.

Along the way, I’ve led some ecotours in the Amazon and consulted about desert reptiles in California and Nevada. I teach and conduct research in animal toxicology and physiological adaptations to the environment

Interests

Ecophysiology of reptiles, fish and arthropods. Currently, I have students examining the effects of pharmaceuticals like antidepressants on the behavior of aquatic organisms. This is important because we excrete these compounds and they end up in measurable quantities in the environment, even after passing through sewage treatment facilities.

I am also interested in the physiological and behavioral effects of parasites on their hosts. I maintain a lab system of gregarine parasites that inhabit the digestive system of Madagascar hissing cockroaches. Students have tried a variety of drugs to reduce the infections, while others have assessed changes in measures of physiological performance, such as strength and endurance of the hosts. 

Education

B.A. – Biology and History, University of California, Berkeley, 1986

Ph.D. – Zoology, University of Florida, 1999

Courses Taught

  • BIOL101: Life on Earth
  • BIOL204: Human Anatomy and Physiology
  • BIOL210: Introduction to Research I
  • BIOL320: Parasitology
  • BIOL325: Advanced Anatomy and Physiology
  • ENVI103: Introduction to Environmental Science
  • INTG101: Introduction to Liberal Arts
  • INTG317: Reflections: Food for Thought
  • INTG417: Citizenship: Green Initiatives