Brent E. Hendrixson

Ph.D.

Contact Me

Professor of Biology

Born and raised in Colorado, I grew up outdoors and became captivated by the immense diversity of living things around me. I wanted to know what these organisms were, why there were so many, and how they got here. In my never-ending quest to answer these questions, I collected snakes, bugs and every other critter I could possibly find. I brought them home and poured through books so I could learn everything about them. Spiders have fascinated me for as long as I can remember. My first memory, in fact, is of a spider eating a fly! I still cannot describe the excitement I felt as I watched that daring little arachnid stalk its much more agile prey before pouncing and delivering its fatal bite! More than 40 years later, I still feel the same sense of awe every time I see this happen! It should come as no surprise that I became a spider biologist! I teach courses in zoology, evolution and field biology, where I try to instill in my students a sense of curiosity and appreciation for biodiversity. I love sharing my interests and showing my students that they can build a career out of their passions!