College of Natural & Applied Sciences

What made biology professor Dr. Robert Wilkinson, Jr. unique was his blending of passions for salamanders and students. He designed riveting projects for students to work on and problem-solve and spent countless hours planning field trips that would engage his students. During his 34 years at Missouri State, he focused on igniting enthusiasm about the natural world and not just passing along information. He actively published in national journals and was a highly demanded presenter, as he was an expert in the field of herpetology – specifically in the study of the hellbender. Leading by example, Wilk, as many called him, challenged other faculty in the department to look for grant research opportunities and hands-on experiences for their students. He truly was a master at “the art that is in science.”