By Benjamin Williamson
When Duke Rogers was attending fourth grade in New Jersey, his class took a field trip to the American Museum of Natural History. That field trip started Rogers down the path that eventually led to his position as BYU professor, curator of mammals at the Bean museum and recipient of the John A. Widtsoe fellowship.
Rogers is somewhat unique in his field. Although he has been at BYU since 1989 and is a widely published researcher, he still does most of his own fieldwork. For Rogers, who works with rodent populations, that means trapping, skinning and preparing the specimens, then working with their DNA extraction and sequencing.
“He”s pretty hands-on, which is nice, especially when someone needs a mentor,” said Nicole Lewis-Rogers, Rogers” wife and a doctoral student in the micro and molecular biology department. She said when the two of them go on gathering trips to Mexico, the location of almost all Rogers” sample populations, he knows exactly how to catch the proper species. Often, he traps the specimen when no one else can.
“I like doing it,” Rogers said. “I like the variety of it; I”m good at it; and as long as I”m healthy enough, I”m going to keep doing field work.”
Rogers said he would get bored if he had only one activity to do all the time, which is one of the reasons he accepted a position at BYU, despite having no affiliation with the LDS church.
“It was the best job for me at the time,” he said. “There was a research and teaching expectation, it was not all of one or all of the other, and that”s what I wanted.”
The high quality of students was another factor in his decision, Rogers said.
But Keith Crandall, professor of biology and curator of crustaceans in the Bean museum, said that Rogers is the one who is high quality.
“Professor Rogers is an exceptional and exciting teacher,” he said. “We are indeed fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated individual in our department.”
Students, as well as faculty, appreciate Rogers. He is currently mentoring a graduate student, and is anticipating two doctoral students in the fall. He also works closely with undergraduates, helping to give them lab experience.
Greg Crewdson, 24, a biology major, had been working with Rogers for three months on DNA extraction and sequencing. Crewdson said this experience will help him either in medical school or as a genetics researcher.
Crewdson is one of several undergraduates that Rogers trains and mentors. Rogers said he usually has two or three students working in the lab and another two working in the museum each semester.
Although no longer the fourth grader who could not read enough books about animals after a museum trip, Rogers still said he is enthusiastic. His wife said science is one of their common interests.
“It”s nice having a fellow scientist to talk to on the long drive home,” she said.
The Rogers live in Salt Lake and have a 5-year-old daughter, Savannah.
