CECH Chats welcomes Joe Johnson, assistant professor in the School of Information Technology and noted bat ecologist and conservationist. An Northeast native, Johnson first found his way to Ohio by way of Athens’ Ohio University, where he worked as an assistant professor of ecology for six years. He joined the University of Cincinnati’s School of Information Technology faculty in 2022, focusing on research that explores the intersection of technology and ecology.

A graduate of the University of Kentucky’s Animal Sciences PhD program, where he trained as a mammal ecologist and conservationist, Johnson performs research that covers a lot of ground but remains connected to both conservation efforts and a better understanding of life history. His research topics have included bat populations affected by white nose syndrome, recovery of threatened species, bat population dynamics, and much more. In his current work, Johnson is seeking to create and employ IT solutions for wildlife conservation.

In this episode Johnson tells us how he first developed his interest in bats and how his appreciation of flying mammals has deepened over the years. He shares about some of the cool technological products and solutions he’s employing in his conservation research about bats. He also discusses some of the work being done by the Ohio Bat Lab, a research team he leads focused on mammal ecology and conservation, and he gives us a preview of the upcoming fourth annual Ohio Bat Fest, a free, all-ages event to celebrate our bat neighbors here in southern Ohio.