Jack Hayes

From an “Ecologist Directory” maintained by the ESA Education Office about 2004-2005. Profile circa 2004.
Degree                                                 Ph.D. 1967 (Cornell University)
Position                                               Professor
Department                                         Biology Department
Organization                                       Paine College, Augusta GA
When did you become interested in ecology?
About 1961; Dr. Lincoln P. Brower, who became my major field professor at Amherst College (had me as a student assistant for field research at the Archbold Biological Station, Childs, FL, summer of ’61).
Describe your route to a career in (or using) ecology. What challenges did you need to overcome? What was your training, and what positions have you held
SEEDS has helped pull me back to much more ecology focus on campus, but my research has continued to be insect ecology all along. At SREL, it eventually came down to “publish or perish,” and since I didn’t publish fast enough I left to take a teaching position which I have held ever since, with 2 brief variations.
-Undergraduate TA, Amherst College 1961-62 -Graduate TA and Graduate Research Assistant, Cornell, 1962-1967 -Post-Doctoral fellowship, SREL, 1967-69 -Biology faculty at Paine College, 1969 to present -Extramural Associate trainee, NIH Fall 1978 -Sabbatical as Manager for Computer-Based Education, Medical College of Georgia, 1983-84
My current position is Professor of Biology, Paine College (on faculty since 1969). On the way, I also saw ecologists (and insect ecologists) during graduate studies (M.S., Ph.D.) at Cornell University. After that, I learned a lot more in a 2-year post-doctoral at the Savannah River Ecology Lab, in Aiken, SC (run by the University of Georgia).
What key advice would you offer a student today?
Take advantage of undergraduate research at Federal and other laboratories, especially in summer programs. Some can continue funds during the academic year, if you ask. Also, find a live-wire faculty member, under whose guidance to do research on campus. Consult key websites (such as ESA, but also others) as to available faculty and research facilities.