Since joining ABAC in 2017, Dr. Matt Carroll has shared his love of the outdoors and science with his students. Carroll is a native of Clifton, VA and attended James W. Robinson High School. He said since he was young he had an appreciation of nature, animals and science. This would later motivate him to pursue a career in wildlife and sciences.
Carroll did his undergraduate at the Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. He recalled that the school was very small and in the mountains. “After that, I did my master’s at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.” Carroll would go on to Columbus State for his Ph.D. It was there that he worked as a teaching assistant for the wildlife techniques course for two semesters.
In August of 2017, Carroll came to ABAC after doing some research on the school. The transition to ABAC would be easy as he had experience with a small school atmosphere. Carroll spoke with the wildlife community and heard good things about the wildlife and forestry programs here at ABAC. “Everybody had good things to say about it.” During his first semester at ABAC, he taught techniques in wildlife management, wildlife ecology and management I, and forest measurements and mapping.
Since then, he’s taught several more courses. One of his favorite classes to teach is the wildlife damage management course. “I have a background in that as well as trapping, so that is one of my favorites,” Carroll says he taught the course in the spring of 2018, and it was the first time in a few years that the class had been offered at ABAC.
When asked what makes ABAC different from other colleges, Carroll said, “It’s definitely different in that there’s more of a teaching focus centered on students. Which I really like, and it was one of the draws for me to come to ABAC.” This semester he is teaching dendrology, forestry management and mapping as well as quantitative methods in forest resources.
Carroll also offered some advice for students, “It’s important to follow things that you’re really passionate about, but also inform yourself about what it’s going to take.” He also advised students to study.
When he’s not teaching, Carroll can be found hunting, fishing and playing with his nine-month-old puppy. Carroll also spent a summer volunteering with the US Fishing Wildlife Service in Barrow, Alaska. He wants his students to know that they can have opportunities like this as well.
