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Biography
Barry Rhoades is Professor of Biology at Wesleyan College. He co-founded the Wesleyan College Arboretum in 1996, co-founded the Wesleyan Neuroscience Program in 1999, created and curates the Wesleyan Osteology Collection, and currently serves as the campus Chemical Hygiene Officer for Wesleyan's EPA compliance program and Chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. He is a also a senior fourth degree black belt in Ho Am style Tae Kwon Do.
Dr. Rhoades grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. He earned a B.A. in Psychology from Colorado College in 1976 and a M.A. in Biopsychology from The University of Chicago in 1980. His Ph.D. dissertation research in the laboratory of Walter J. Freeman at the University of California (Berkeley) was completed in 1990 and investigated a question of local neuronal network function in the rat olfactory system. Following a post-doctoral research appointment at the University of North Texas in the laboratory of Guenter W. Gross and a visiting faculty position at Carleton College, Dr. Rhoades came to Wesleyan as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology in 1995. He was promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor in 1996. In 2001 he was granted tenure and promoted to Associate Professor. In 2004 he was awarded the United Methodist Church General Board of Higher Education and Ministry Award for Exemplary Teaching. In the summer of 2008 he was selected for participation in the State of Georgia Governor's Teaching Fellows Program. He was promoted to Professor of Biology, effective fall 2010. From June 2010 until May 2012 he served as Chair of Faculty Council and president of the Wesleyan faculty. In May 2012 he received the Ann Munck Award for Excellence in Teaching at Wesleyan College.
Dr. Rhoades currently teaches upper-level courses in Vertebrate Zoology, Animal Behavior, Neurophysiology, Neuronal Networks and Systems, and Animal Physiology. He recently developed a new two-course intermediate-level sequence in Human Anatomy and Physiology as part of Wesleyan's pre-nursing curriculum. His ongoing research projects include the physiology and reproductive biology or parasitoid wasps and the development of graphical, statistical, and simulation methods for studying and teaching neurophysiology and behavioral ecology.
Rev. 06.15