John B French, Jr., Ph.D.

John is the Center Director at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. His scientific training is in terrestrial animal ecology and physiology, and was hired initially at Patuxent to undertake research on wildlife toxicology.  John has overseen the work of the Contaminants group, the Systematics group (stationed at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian) and the Endangered Wildlife group.  He led the whooping crane restoration program at Patuxent and sits on the US-Canada Whooping Crane Recovery Team.

Professional Experience

• Center Director  (June 2015 - present)
• Research Manager (Nov 2002 – 2015)  USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC), Laurel, MD 20708     
  • Planning, oversight and implementation of eastern migratory flock reintroduction, through Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership [WCEP: Fed, state, NGO members] and of non-migratory flock reintroduction to coastal Louisiana;
  • Member: US-Canada Whooping Crane Recovery Team (FWS) and, Guidance Team (WCEP), Science Advisory Team for Cranes (LADWF)
• Research Wildlife Biologist, (Sept 1993 - Oct 2002) Contaminants Branch, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD 20708
• Research/Teaching Assistant (1983‑91), Department of Zoology and School of Veterinary Medicine, Univ. of Wisconsin‑Madison, Madison, WI;
• Project Specialist, (1982‑83) Bureau of Wildlife Management, Wisconsin Dept.  Natural Resources, Madison, WI. 
• Research Assistant (summers 1977‑79) Nome, AK,  NOAA contract to the College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, ME; ecological research on effects of energy development on colonial seabirds and waterfowl in the northern  Bering Sea, Alaska.

Education

• Ph.D. Zoology (major field: Physiological Ecology), 1991, University of Wisconsin‑Madison,  Minor fields: ecology of human land use, wildlife toxicology
• M.S. Zoology, 1981, University of Wisconsin‑Madison
• B.S., 1977, University of Wisconsin‑Madison, Madison, WI  53706; (1975-1977)
• Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267; (1972‑1974)