Karl Kjer: What is the Hodson Graduate Alumni Award?

Karl Kjer is a highly-respected member of the scientific community. Currently a sought-after science writer and editor, Kjer has contributed a great deal to the fields of entomology, phylogenetics and systematic biology over the course of his career; has been a stand-out professor and researcher at the university level; and has been an instrumental part of such projects as the Trichoptera Barcode of Life Database and the 1KITE Initiative.

Now retired from academia, Karl Kjer was honored to have received the 2016 Alexander Hodson Alumni Award; an honor intended to recognize outstanding alumni of the University of Minnesota Department of Entomology on a yearly basis. The award’s namesake, Dr. Alexander C. Hodson, served as head of the Department from 1960 to 1974, and is credited with playing an instrumental role in the official change of the Department’s name to Entomology, Fisheries, and Wildlife.

Dr. Kjer is proud to be a University of Minnesota alum, having earned his PhD in Entomology at UM in 1992.

Karl Kjer: Many Professional Contributions

Karl Kjer is a noted member of the scientific community. A retired university professor and longtime academic, Kjer has contributed much in terms of how information is collected, analyzed and categorized in the field of insect phylogeny, particularly through such efforts as the 1KITE Initiative and the Trichoptera Barcode of Life Database. He currently offers his expertise as a freelance science editor and writer.