John Maerz is the Dennis and Sara Carey Distinguished Professor of Forestry and Natural Resources and a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor of Vertebrate Ecology in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. He is an affiliated faculty with the Center for Integrative Conservation’s ICON Ph.D. Program and adjunct faculty in the Odum School of Ecology. John’s research focuses on the effects of terrestrial and aquatic environmental change, particularly the effects of nonnative species invasions, land use, and climate on the ecology of amphibians and reptiles and other wildlife; how variation in the abundances of animals affects terrestrial and freshwater ecosystem processes; and applying ecological and evolutionary principles to develop knowledge and tools to effectively manage herpetofauna and other wildlife. John was a Co-PI and member of the Science Advisory Committee for the former Coweeta LTER, as well as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Wildlife Management for 13 years (2008-2020). He chairs the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Pre-College Scholarship Committee and new Student Chapters Program, and is the faculty advisor to the University of Georgia Herpetological Society.