Keller
Reuben Keller Receives Faculty Member of the Year Award
This September, Loyola’s Faculty Council presented the 2024 Faculty Member of the Year award to Professor Reuben Keller of the School of Environmental Sustainability (SES). The award recognizes a faculty member demonstrating outstanding teaching, research, and service. Colleagues describe Keller as an excellent role model for students and other faculty members, noting his dedication to mentorship and active involvement in the Loyola community.
Reuben Keller, PhD, studies aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes region. His work sometimes involves scuba diving in Lake Michigan in search of native and introduced crayfish.
“Reuben is an exemplary faculty member for the School of Environmental Sustainability and Loyola. He is a valued and respected colleague, mentor, and teacher who inspires those around him to do their best work,” said Nancy Tuchman, PhD, founding dean of SES. “As one of our most senior faculty, he has demonstrated service and leadership with his generosity and team spirit. Beyond the school walls, Reuben’s Great Lakes research contributes to real-world solutions to environmental problems, informing resource managers and policymakers on strategies for protecting and restoring aquatic ecosystems. This award is so well-deserved, and all of us in SES are proud to have him on our team.
Keller joined the Loyola faculty in 2011 as an assistant professor and became a full professor in 2023. He leads a research lab focused on reducing the impacts of aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes region. He has won funding from federal and state agencies and currently manages grants totaling $700,000. The grants enable Keller to pay the salaries of two research assistants, three master’s students, and four to six undergraduate research assistants working in his lab.
“I strive to conduct rigorous research that gets published in reputable journals and informs the pressing needs of managers and policymakers. As an example, my lab has been investigating the impacts of invasive red swamp crayfish in Midwestern rivers and lakes,” said Keller. “It has the impacts of outcompeting native species, and we think that it probably eats a lot of aquatic plants, and that can reduce habitat for sport fish.”
In just the past year, Keller authored four papers (two published and two in press) and has several more in review and in process. In addition to producing rigorous scientific research, Keller uses his lab as a training ground for future environmental leaders.
“I give all members of my lab–from research associates to undergraduates—the opportunity to develop and lead their own projects. We meet weekly to present research updates, discuss challenges, and foster collaboration. Through this collaboration, most of my lab group
has had exposure to fieldwork such as working on boats on the Chicago River, lab work, and computer modeling,” said Keller.
Keller said he aims to prepare his students to work collaboratively and achieve a high level of scientific integrity in their work.
“For the students in my lab, I hope they get a sense that, even though they each have their own projects, they’re part of a larger group, and helping other people and learning about their projects is really valuable for everyone concerned,” he said. “I also really want to impart to them that science is important, and doing good science is vital to addressing the types of issues that we’re working on in the lab.”
Beyond leading a research team, Keller receives high praise for his teaching and mentorship.
“Dr. Keller’s innovation is evident in his teaching. His courses, such as Environmental Statistics and the Environmental Capstone course, directly enhance his students’ career readiness,” said Ping Jing, PhD, an associate professor at SES.
In his capstone course, Keller’s students explore environmental careers, prepare job applications, and present and discuss their application materials in class. By the end of his most recent class, seven of the 19 students had gotten the jobs they prepared materials for, and another four were going through interviews. Students also enhanced their research and writing skills through a large project investigating socio-ecological issues in the Great Lakes region.
SES associate professor Tania Schusler, PhD, described Keller as a dedicated and effective mentor in the classroom, the lab, and beyond. She noted that from her office across the hall, she regularly observes students stopping by to meet with Keller. She said he always gives them his full attention as he discusses their work and advises them on their research and career development.
“Dr. Keller also serves as a role model to faculty,” said Schusler. “He generously shares his time and experience with junior faculty, including women and faculty of color. I have benefited from his guidance on topics from managing grants to deciding on service roles. He actively listens and provides supportive, trustworthy, diplomatic, and strategic guidance.”
Keller said he is honored to receive the Faculty Member of the Year award.
“It’s a big deal for me,” he said. “One of the things that makes me most proud is that it’s an award given by my peers—a committee within the faculty council. It’s extra special that people who know what the job is like looked at my record and said that this is worthy of this award.”
Learn more about Keller and his research in this video.
“Reuben is an exemplary faculty member for the School of Environmental Sustainability and Loyola. He is a valued and respected colleague, mentor, and teacher who inspires those around him to do their best work,” said Nancy Tuchman, PhD, founding dean of SES. “As one of our most senior faculty, he has demonstrated service and leadership with his generosity and team spirit. Beyond the school walls, Reuben’s Great Lakes research contributes to real-world solutions to environmental problems, informing resource managers and policymakers on strategies for protecting and restoring aquatic ecosystems. This award is so well-deserved, and all of us in SES are proud to have him on our team.
Keller joined the Loyola faculty in 2011 as an assistant professor and became a full professor in 2023. He leads a research lab focused on reducing the impacts of aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes region. He has won funding from federal and state agencies and currently manages grants totaling $700,000. The grants enable Keller to pay the salaries of two research assistants, three master’s students, and four to six undergraduate research assistants working in his lab.
“I strive to conduct rigorous research that gets published in reputable journals and informs the pressing needs of managers and policymakers. As an example, my lab has been investigating the impacts of invasive red swamp crayfish in Midwestern rivers and lakes,” said Keller. “It has the impacts of outcompeting native species, and we think that it probably eats a lot of aquatic plants, and that can reduce habitat for sport fish.”
In just the past year, Keller authored four papers (two published and two in press) and has several more in review and in process. In addition to producing rigorous scientific research, Keller uses his lab as a training ground for future environmental leaders.
“I give all members of my lab–from research associates to undergraduates—the opportunity to develop and lead their own projects. We meet weekly to present research updates, discuss challenges, and foster collaboration. Through this collaboration, most of my lab group
has had exposure to fieldwork such as working on boats on the Chicago River, lab work, and computer modeling,” said Keller.
Keller said he aims to prepare his students to work collaboratively and achieve a high level of scientific integrity in their work.
“For the students in my lab, I hope they get a sense that, even though they each have their own projects, they’re part of a larger group, and helping other people and learning about their projects is really valuable for everyone concerned,” he said. “I also really want to impart to them that science is important, and doing good science is vital to addressing the types of issues that we’re working on in the lab.”
Beyond leading a research team, Keller receives high praise for his teaching and mentorship.
“Dr. Keller’s innovation is evident in his teaching. His courses, such as Environmental Statistics and the Environmental Capstone course, directly enhance his students’ career readiness,” said Ping Jing, PhD, an associate professor at SES.
In his capstone course, Keller’s students explore environmental careers, prepare job applications, and present and discuss their application materials in class. By the end of his most recent class, seven of the 19 students had gotten the jobs they prepared materials for, and another four were going through interviews. Students also enhanced their research and writing skills through a large project investigating socio-ecological issues in the Great Lakes region.
SES associate professor Tania Schusler, PhD, described Keller as a dedicated and effective mentor in the classroom, the lab, and beyond. She noted that from her office across the hall, she regularly observes students stopping by to meet with Keller. She said he always gives them his full attention as he discusses their work and advises them on their research and career development.
“Dr. Keller also serves as a role model to faculty,” said Schusler. “He generously shares his time and experience with junior faculty, including women and faculty of color. I have benefited from his guidance on topics from managing grants to deciding on service roles. He actively listens and provides supportive, trustworthy, diplomatic, and strategic guidance.”
Keller said he is honored to receive the Faculty Member of the Year award.
“It’s a big deal for me,” he said. “One of the things that makes me most proud is that it’s an award given by my peers—a committee within the faculty council. It’s extra special that people who know what the job is like looked at my record and said that this is worthy of this award.”
Learn more about Keller and his research in this video.