Joe Mendelson, PhD

Director of Research

One of the nation’s foremost experts in his field, Joe was among the first responders to the crisis of global amphibian decline and is responsible for the naming of more than 40 new amphibian and reptile species. His research initiatives include biodiversity surveys in Latin America; biomechanics; natural history, ecological and taxonomic studies; and research and program development related to amphibian conservation. He is Past President of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, the world’s largest academic herpetological society, and is an Adjunct Professor of Biological Sciences at Georgia Tech University, where he teaches and supervises student research. He has published over 125 peer-reviewed technical articles in journals such as Science, Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Journal of Herpetology.

Joe has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of California at Santa Barbara; a Master’s in Biology from the University of Texas at Arlington; and a PhD in Systematics and Ecology from the University of Kansas. He is a Research Associate at the Amphibian & Reptile Diversity Research Center at the University of Texas at Arlington. Prior to arriving at Zoo Atlanta in 2004, Joe was an Associate Professor of Biology at Utah State University.

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