Dylan Maag, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology
Office: NSB, Room 329
Email: dmaag@wtamu.edu
Phone: 806-651-2520
Professional Profile
Dr. Maag joined the Department of Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences (LEES) in August 2024. He attained is B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2014, his M.S. in Biology from Missouri State University in 2017, and his Ph.D. in the joint Evolutionary Biology program between San Diego State University and the University of California, Riverside in 2023. After his Ph.D., Dr. Maag worked as a postdoctoral researcher and Adjunct Instructor from 2023–2024 at SDSU.
Teaching and Related Service
Dr. Maag teaches Herpetology, Biometry, and co-teaches General Ecology with Dr. Stevens. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Dr. Maag is an advisor for students pursuing degrees in wildlife biology. Prior to WTAMU, Dr. Maag’s teaching experience is derived from 10 years of work as an educator at three different universities. He has instructed Univariate Statistical Methods in Biology, Human Anatomy, and has co-instructed Organismal Biology. He has also been a Teaching Assistant for multiple courses including Herpetology, Animal Behavior, Ecology, Organismal Biology, Genetics and Evolution, Introduction to Biology, Invasive Plants, Plant Sciences, and Human Anatomy. Dr. Maag has experience teaching in-person, online, and field-based courses. He has attained an Evidence-Based Teaching certificate and has been awarded the “Outstanding Lecturer” Award by the Department of Biology at San Diego State University in 2024.
Outside of the classroom, Dr. Maag has mentored 40+ undergraduate students in field and laboratory-based research and teaching. Many of these students have continued to post-graduate degrees and are co-authors with him on published peer-reviewed academic papers.
Research and Creative Activity
Dr. Maag’s research program uses modern ecological techniques and methodology to investigate the behavioral and evolutionary ecology of vertebrates, specifically herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) and small mammals. One of his study systems includes pitvipers and their prey and predators. He studies these organisms to better understand their behaviors, ecology, evolution, relationship to humans, predator/prey relationships, and evolutionary relationships between the species. Dr. Maag also researches hybridization dynamics, its effect on individual behavior and visa-versa, and reproductive behavior using a rattlesnake hybrid zone in the southwestern U.S.A. To date, Dr. Maag has published seven peer-reviewed research articles and has given over a dozen presentations at scientific and professional conferences.
In addition to his research, Dr. Maag has participated in numerous outreach events including public lectures, public fairs, and summer camp/grade-school presentations. These events mainly focus on educating adults and children of various ages and demographic groups about the natural history and conservation of local herpetofauna, using live animals as an outreach tool.