Luke Dollar, Ph.D.

• DEPARTMENT CHAIR
• Professor of Environment and Sustainability

Luke Dollar is a National Geographic Explorer and a wildlife biologist with more than 25 years' experience coordinating conservation, research, educational, and development programs. Dollar’s scientific research focuses on carnivores ranging from big cats to Madagascar’s largest carnivore, the fosa (Cryptoprocta ferox), and satellite analyses of their habitat. More than 50 percent of his overall efforts are concentrated on grassroots education and sustainable employment programs for local people sharing space with Africa’s predators. Dollar’s efforts have not only yielded a trove of data on carnivore biology and behavior, but his programs have led to the development of scholastic and sustainable business programs benefiting thousands of local subsistence farmers and their children.  He served as program director of National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative from 2009 to 2017 and is currently Bashore Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Environment and Sustainability at Catawba College and Adjunct Professor of the Environment at Duke University.