Rate My Professor Luke Dodd

Dr. Luke Dodd serves as Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Eastern Kentucky University, a position he has held since 2014. He earned his Ph.D. and M.S. from the University of Kentucky and his B.S. from Arkansas Tech University. His academic career focuses on biological sciences, with active involvement in departmental leadership and research mentorship. Dodd is affiliated with several professional organizations, including the Kentucky Bat Working Group, Kentucky Society of Natural History, Kentucky Organization of Field Stations, Southeastern Bat Diversity Network, and The Wildlife Society. As principal investigator of the Dodd Lab, he oversees graduate and undergraduate research projects centered on mammalogy and wildlife ecology.

Dodd's research specializations encompass conservation biology, forest entomology, mammalogy, and wildlife ecology and management. The Dodd Lab investigates bat activity patterns across diverse habitats such as old-growth and secondary-growth forests, urban plantings, and upland-embedded wetlands in areas like the Daniel Boone National Forest. Key projects include developing population estimation tools for Indiana bats using artificial roosts, curating and digitizing Eastern Kentucky University's mammal collection, and assessing bat use of urban reforestation efforts. He has advised numerous graduate students, many of whom have completed M.S. theses under his guidance, such as studies on wolf recovery, bat colonization of artificial roosts, and Allegheny woodrat activity. Notable publications include Beckner, M.B., K.E. Powers, and L.E. Dodd. 2023. Attempted Predation of live-captured Neotoma magister by Strix varia and Buteo jamaicensis in Kentucky. Northeastern Naturalist 30: N48–N53; Crawford, R.D., L.E. Dodd, and J.M. O’Keefe. 2022. Thermal environments of bat boxes: Placement, design, and occupancy impact microclimate. Conservation Physiology 10: coac027; Dukes, C.G. et al. 2022. A meta-analysis of camera trapping methodology for eastern spotted skunks. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management e1944-687X; Hayes, C.R., K. Watson, and L.E. Dodd. 2021. Optimization of camera trap surveys for Eastern Spotted Skunks and other meso-mammals in the Appalachian Foothills. Southeastern Naturalist 20 (Special Issue 11):252–261; and Lacki, M.J. et al. 2017. Relationships among burn severity, forest canopy structure, and bat activity from spring burns in oak-hickory forests. International Journal of Wildland Fire WF16159. Dodd contributes to conferences through presentations and organization, enhancing bat conservation efforts regionally.