Kenneth Nagy

2025 Sigma Xi Fellow

For his distinguished career in physiological ecology—particularly his pioneering work on energy, water balance, and survival strategies in desert vertebrates such as Mojave tortoises—and his decades of inspiring teaching, field-based mentorship, and public engagement in ecology and conservation.

Statement

“I am surprised, but very grateful for this award.  It is as unexpected as has been my continuous faculty position at UCLA for 54 years.  My UCLA colleagues have encouraged me to explore new methods to study and learn from wild animals by developing ways to measure their physiology, behavior and ecology while they are living normally and undisturbed in their natural habitats.  This has offered new understandings of survival  mechanisms and vulnerabilities of wild vertebrates around the world.”