Ronald Hellenthal
Emeritus Professor and Director, N.D. Museum of Biodiversity
- Department
- Biological Sciences
- College or School
- College of Science
- Year of Emeritus Status 2012
Ronald Hellenthal received his Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Minnesota and joined the Biological Sciences faculty in 1977. His research, as well as that of most of his graduate students, focused on the relationships between aquatic insects and environmental quality. Much of our research has involved Juday Creek, which flows through Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course and empties into the St. Joseph River.
He has taught various courses on aquatic ecology and insect biology. Since retiring from the University in 2012, he has continued teaching courses on Arthropod Biology and Identification, including General Entomology, Aquatic Insects, and Arthropods and Human Disease. He has also advised 98 students on undergraduate research, Sustainability Capstone, and Honors Thesis projects.
He is actively involved with the Notre Dame Museum of Biodiversity in the Jordan Science Learning Center, especially in curating its collection of insects and other arthropods.
Outside of Notre Dame, since 1996, he has served as a member of the Indiana Pesticide Review Board, a gubernatorially appointed commission responsible for regulating the pesticides in Indiana, and has served as its chair since 2008. He currently serves on the Juday Creek Task Force, which provides advisory support to the St. Joseph County Drainage Board, the County Health Department’s Water Resources Advisory Board, and the On-Site Wastewater Advisory Board, which he also chairs.
Email: ronald.a.hellenthal.1@nd.
Website: biodiversity.nd.edu
Recent Professional Activities